Buta Singh’s son quizzed by CBI in corruption case

MUMBAI - The Central Bureau of Investigation’s anti-corruption wing Thursday brought Sarabjot alias Sweety Singh, son of former central home minister Buta Singh, here for questioning after he was allegedly caught accepting a bribe of Rs.1 crore.

“We have brought Sweety Singh from New Delhi in connection with the bribery case. We are also trying to ascertain his involvement in some other financial transactions including hawala deals,” CBI joint director (western region) R.R. Singh told IANS late Thursday night.

However, R.R. Singh categorically said that Sweety Singh was being questioned till late in the night and had not been detained or arrested.

According to CBI sources, the corruption case involves a complaint filed by Ramraj Patil, a Nashik-based civic works contractor.

Patil had alleged in his complaint that Sweety Singh had demanded a bribe of Rs.3 crore, which was later brought down to Rs.1 crore, for withdrawal of a case under the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, filed against him (Patil) by a group of local conservancy workers employed by him.

Sweety Singh was nabbed in New Delhi by CBI sleuths when he was allegedly accepting Rs.1 crore and brought to Mumbai later in the evening.

The conservancy workers, numbering around 100 and working for Patil who is a contractor with the Nashik Municipal Corporation, filed the case since he was allegedly not paying them their due wages and had also taken a bank loan of Rs.10 crore in their names.

Meanwhile, Sweety Singh, reported to be in touch with the aggrieved conservancy workers, allegedly approached Patil with an offer to withdraw the case against him in return for Rs.3 crore.

After some haggling, Patil allegedly promised to cough out the sum and also informed the CBI about Sweety Singh’s demands.