Kanpur businessman, who had filed a case of money laundering against the expelled Samajwadi Party general secretary, dares him to an electoral battle
Kanpur businessman, who had filed a case of money laundering against the expelled Samajwadi Party general secretary, dares him to an electoral battle
In the concluding episode of Samajwadi Party's Amar Chitra Katha that was played out on Tuesday, the
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Throwing the gauntlet: Kanpur businessman, Shivkant Tripathi (above), who has blamed Amar Singh for trying to kill him, dared the former SP leader to an electoral battle |
Thakur's hands were finally chopped off.
Though political adversaries of the expelled Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh kept mum over the 'gestures' he had been making since he parted ways with mentor Mulayam Singh Yadav, ghosts from his past became vocal.
Shivkant Tripathi, a Kanpur-based businessman who had levelled serious charges of money laundering against Amar Singh, has dared Singh to give up his Rajya Sabha membership and fight a Lok Sabha election to prove his "real worth" as a politician and a leader.
In a letter to Singh, Tripathi said: "It has come to my notice through the media that you have been projecting yourself as a people's politician and a leader with a mass base. Also you have asked your supporters to resign and to contest elections against Samajwadi Party candidates. I dare you to win more than 5,000 votes from any Lok Sabha constituency in the country."
Tripathi also challenged Singh to an electoral battle from any Parliamentary constituency and claimed that, even if he didn't win, he would garner more votes than Singh.
The Kanpur-based social worker had alleged that the former Samajwadi Party honcho is trying to get him killed because he has filed a case of money laundering and fraud worth Rs 500 crore against him.
The 52-year-old businessman was reportedly shot at in the third week of January when he was travelling from Kanpur to Lucknow in his Innova car. "I have been receiving threat calls from Amar Singh's men to withdraw the case I filed against him in 2009.u00a0 The attack was also planned by him to eliminate me. He has been threatening me and my family to file an affidavit and withdraw the case," said Tripathi.
The case of money laundering that Tripathi had filed against Singh has Amitabh Bachchan and Singh's wife, Pankaja Kumari Singh, as co-accused.
The Economic Offence Wing of the Uttar Pradesh police is investigating the case. The next hearing in the case is on March 12.
| What transpired through Tuesday |
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Less than a month after he resigned from all party posts and started attacking the party leadership, the SP Parliamentary Board, chaired by party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, met in Lucknow on Tuesday and decided to expel Amar Singh and Jaya Prada, actress-turned Lok Sabha MP.
"Before the disease spreads further, the party decided to undertake a corrective surgery," party spokesman Mohan Singh announced in the noon in Lucknow. Four other MLAs have also been expelled. However, much to everybody's surprise, no action has been taken against Rajya Sabha MP, Jaya Bachchan, so far.
Hours later in Delhi, a visibly upset Amar Singh held a press conference at his Lodhi Estate residence and termed the expulsions as "blessings in disguise".
Singh ruled out quitting his Rajya Sabha seat. "There is no question of resigning. It is a parting gift to me from Mulayam Singh Yadav. He has gifted me the remaining tenure of the Rajya Sabha term before my expulsion," Singh said, pointing out that he did not get the membership of the Upper House as alms.u00a0u00a0
"I have had no discussion with anybody or any party, be it the BSP, the Congress or the NCP or others. I had only emphathised with Mayawati (during a TV interview). She had a bitter experience with SP.u00a0 Since I am also in a similar position now, I can understand her pain. She had also been a victim of the SP," he said.
Talking about his political future, Singh said: "I have formed Lok Manch (a non-political forum) and will work for the poor and unemployed by raising awareness about computers and English language," said Singh. |
| The case against Amar Singh |
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>>u00a0An FIR was registered by Kanpur-based businessman Shivakant Tripathi on October 15, 2009 in Kanpur against Amitabh Bachchan and former Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh, accusing them of being involved in a Rs 500-crore money laundering scam.
>>u00a0Tripathi accused Singh of floating half-a-dozen companies among which 55 were allegedly amalgamated with the intent of siphoning off black money. Bachchan figures as a key stake holder in most of these companies while Singh's wife Pankaja Singh is shown as a partner.
>>u00a0The companies, mostly registered in Kolkata, were identified as Eastern India Chemicals Pvt Ltd, Sarvottam Pvt Ltd, Pankaja Art and Credit Pvt Ltd, EDCL Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, EDCL Powers Ltd and Energy Development Company.
>>u00a0Initially, the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh forwarded the case to the Kolkata police on grounds that all the companies mentioned in the FIR were registered in the Bengal capital. The Kolkata police returned the matter to the Uttar Pradesh police, contending the cases could not be registered in Kolkata as the cause of action arose in Uttar Pradesh.
>>u00a0The case was then handed over to the Economic Offences Wing of the Uttar Pradesh Criminal Investigation Department, which is now investigating the case. The case is being heard in the Allahabad High Court and the next date of hearing is January 28.
>>u00a0Interestingly, after the case was filed in October 2009, Singh said he would sue Mayawati for "indulging in criminal conspiracy" against him, his wife Pankaja and Amitabh Bachchan as part of her "political vendetta".
>>u00a0"I have got nothing to hide. Everything is in the public domain and on the Internet. These are public limited companies, which are audited by auditors. It is easy to bring charges against Amitabh and myself, as this gets greater TRPs for television channels," Singh had said.
>>u00a0Meanwhile, before the Rajya Sabha polls in 2008, Singh had declared his total assets were worth Rs 37 crore. However, the online list of donors to the US-based Clinton Foundation shows he had made a donation of Rs 43 crore to the organisation. As per reports, Singh's name figured in the list among Clinton Foundation donors who contributed a sum between $1 million and $5 million to the foundation.
>>u00a0A complaint was also filed before the poll panel to disqualify Amar Singh for his failure to disclose to the panel the large donation he made and not obtaining the required permission from RBI for the donation. |
