CBI raids aide’s house in probe into ‘irregular’ RAW purchases

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Oct 23, 2014: The CBI registered an FIR on Wednesday against unknown officials of the Cabinet Secretariat and Special Frontier Force and three directors of Sai Baba Builders and Consultants, a private firm linked to former defence contractor Shambhu Prasad Singh, for alleged irregularities in supply of high-altitude pre-fabricated shelters to the SFF, a unit of the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW).

Singh was named political attache to V K Singh, Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region, for Ghaziabad from where the former Army chief was elected to Lok Sabha this year.

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According to the CBI, the case was registered on the basis of a complaint it received recently from a Special Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat. As reported in The Indian Express, the CBI had received a reference from the PMO seeking a probe into the alleged irregularities.

The CBI claimed that repeated favours resulted in undue gain of Rs 21.6 crore to suppliers of the the pre-fabricated shelters. In the FIR, the CBI named three directors of Sai Baba Builders and Consultants — S P Singh’s wife Manjari, Shyam Sunder Bhatter and J P N Singh, but agency officials said S P Singh too was “very much under the scanner”.

Searches were conducted at homes and offices in three locations in Delhi and NCR, including S P Singh’s house, and another in Kolkata where J P N Singh lives.

Hours after the searches, S P Singh alleged that an arms lobby was targeting him to tarnish his political mentor.

 

He claimed that the contract went to his estranged wife and he had nothing to do with it. He also sought an investigation against a “high ranking army official” for his alleged role in the case under probe.

“You need to investigate who was in charge of SFF during the relevant period. Today, the same officer is holding a high position in one of the defence services,” he told The Indian Express.

“I am not associated with these companies. I have clarified in the past also. If my estranged wife for 15 years got a contract, how am I a beneficiary,” S P Singh said.

Two companies under the CBI scanner are Dynamic Shells and Sai Baba Builders. Records of Dynamic Shells with the Registrar of Companies show that S P Singh.

 

Courtesy: Indianexpress