Team Anna backs Kiran Bedi

Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the complaint against Bedi was "completely fraud, malicious and malafide".

"The complaint of misappropriation of funds against Kiran Bedi is false, malicious and malafide.... It was lodged against Bedi not for fraud and cheating but for fighting for a strong Lokpal Bill," Kejriwal told reporters here.

At the press conference, Kejriwal also made some comments against the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) who ordered the registration of the case but Law Minister Salman Khurshid rejected the charge that there was any government pressure.

"I think it is a very irresponsible statement that judges are under any pressure. Judges may feel psychological pressure of perception that people have of events. They may be self conscious about what the press is going to say. You can't go beyond that and say government would use pressure on the judges," Khurshid said in New Delhi.

Claiming that efforts were still on to defame Team Anna members, he said, "We want to say it categorically that it is a false complaint. The court order is wrong. There is no prima facie evidence supporting this complaint."

Kiran Bedi and her lawyer Somnath Bharti were present at the press conference and interestingly, the former IPS officer did not speak to reporters or take any questions.
Delhi Police had slapped a case of cheating against Bedi for allegedly misappropriating
funds meant for her NGOs in line with a court's directive.

The court order came on a complaint filed by a Delhi lawyer that she had "looted" various paramilitary forces and police organisations in the name of imparting free computer training under the banner of her NGOs.

The lawyer alleged that Bedi had received donations of more than Rs 50 lakh from Microsoft for imparting free computer training to kids and families of BSF, CISF, ITBP, CRPF personnel and other state police organisations under the banner of her trust 'India Vision Foundation'.

Kejriwal also alleged that "vested interests" and "corrupt people" who do not want a strong Lokpal Bill were out to derail the anti-corruption movement.

"It is their unsuccessful attempt," he said.

He also said Bedi has decided not to appeal against the lower court's order in a higher court.

"She has decided not to go to higher courts. She has decided to cooperate with the police during investigation," he said.

On reports that Left wing extremists have called Anna's movement "anti-poor", the former IRS officer dismissed the suggestion and said the movement was to save the poor from corruption.