Sukesh Chandrashekhar claims he gave ₹60 crore to AAP; probe likely

Jailed ‘conman’ Sukesh Chandrashekhar has reiterated that he gave ₹60 crore to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), his lawyer Anant Malik said.

Malik said a high-powered committee took his statement and has given its recommendations and held that allegations are serious and a probe should be done, news agency ANI reported.

Earlier, Chandrashekhar, in a statement to a committee constituted by Lieutenant Governor of Delhi VK Saxena, had reiterated his charge of paying money to AAP minister Satyendar Jain for protection in jail and getting a Rajya Sabha berth, reported news agency PTI.

Earlier, the party leaders had dismissed Chandrashekhar’s charges saying he was speaking like a BJP spokesperson and that he would join the party after coming out of jail.

A three-member committee headed by the principal secretary (home), constituted to inquire into the allegations of Chandrashekhar against Jain and others, has found the allegations “serious” in nature and recommended investigation by a specialised agency. During the course of its inquiry, the committee met Chandrashekhar as well as officials of the ED and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigating the case, according to officials aware of the development.

An official aware of the matter said during the inquiry, Chandrashekhar reiterated his allegations of giving ₹60 crore to Jain ( ₹50 crore for allegedly securing a Rajya Sabha seat from Aam Aadmi Party and ₹10 crore as protection money) and paying another ₹12.50 crore to the then director general (prisons) Sandeep Goel. Jain, also in jail for a money laundering case, was the minister in charge of prisons (the portfolio is now with deputy CM Manish Sisodia).

According to the official, the committee recorded Chandrashekhar’s statement on November 14 and 15 at Mandoli Jail, where he is currently lodged. The conman said, “Rupees 50 crore was paid in cash to Satyendar Jain at the farm house of Delhi’s transport minister Kailash Gahlot in Asola Mines in four instalments and CM Arvind Kejriwal was fully in the loop as far as these financial transactions were concerned. CM Kejriwal along with Jain and Gahlot also attended the dinner party thrown by me at Hyatt Regency, Bhikaji Kama Place, once I transferred the full amount of ₹50 crore in 2017.”