'Malicious allegations', says MoS on CBI official claim

Minister of State for Coal Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary has described a CBI official's claim that he took a bribe of "a few crores of rupees" to settle a case as "baseless and malicious".

In a statement issued on Monday, Chaudhary has said that he would quit politics if the claims in a petition filed by CBI official M K Sinha in Supreme Court were proven to be true.

"Certain absolutely false and baseless allegations have been made against me. I neither know nor have I met Mr Sathish Babu Sana, who is alleged to have paid me a bribe. I only came to know from various media reports today (Monday) that an affidavit has been filed in the Supreme Court mentioning this matter," he said.

"I condemn this malicious attempt to malign my reputation. I welcome any enquiry into this matter and the law should take its own course. If I am proven guilty, I am willing to leave politics," he added.

Law Secretary Suresh Chandra, who is claimed in the petition to have spoken to complainant Satish Sana said it was "all fake".

"In fact, if you see, I have not spoken or taken any dictation from Cabinet Secretary. That is number one. Number two: I have not been to London. Three: I do not know either of these persons, not at all. And here is no question of my taking a message. This is all fake. If there is any other Suresh Chandra I do not know," Chandra was quoted by PTI as saying.

While Doval, who is claimed to have interfered in an investigation, was not available for comment, Chief Vigilance Commissioner K V Chowdhury has said it would not be appropriate for him to comment as the matter was before the Supreme Court.

On Monday, Sinha had approached the Supreme Court challenging the decision to transfer him to Nagpur while he was investigating an FIR against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana.

Chaudhary is accused of taking a bribe of a "few crores of rupees" to settle a case while Doval and the CVC are claimed to interfered in the probe. Chandra is claimed to have approached the complainant with a message from Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha.