HP Chief Minister Involved in benami land deal-BJP

Vijyender Sharma

SHIMLA----Himachal BJP general secretary Randhir Sharma today accused Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh of involvement in a benami land deal.

The BJP alleged that he purchased land in the name of a company owned by his children, evaded stamp duty and concealed his assets from the Election Commission in the affidavits submitted at the time of filing his nomination for the Assembly elections in 2012.

The evasion of stamp duty, the purchase of a farmhouse spread over 2 acre at the Dera Bandh Road, Mandi village, Mehrauli in New Delhi, Sharma said. The cost of the property was Rs 25 crore while it was purchased for Rs 1.20 crore, he alleged.

Maple Destinations Dream Build Pvt Ltd, the company in question in which the CM's son and daughter, Vikramaditya Singh and Aprajita Singh, held 95 per cent and 5 per cent share, respectively, was registered on May 30, 2011, on the address of a farmhouse. The property was bought on August 25, 2011, he said, adding that it was mentioned in the registry that there was land for agricultural use with walls. In reality, it is stated, it was a fully furnished four-room bungalow with landscaped gardens and a swimming pool.

Charging the Chief Minister with furnishing incomplete information in the affidavit submitted during filling nominations before the Assembly elections, he said the CM had shown his children as dependents, but was silent on the information regarding investments of the company owned by them.

Releasing the copy of the bank statement of Vikramaditya and a copy of registry of the farmhouse to the press, Sharma alleged that Rs 30 lakh was paid as advance in April 2011.

Money was deposited in Virbhadra's account on July 21 and 22 by Vakamullah Chandershakher. On August 2, Rs 90 lakh was transferred from Virbhadra's account to his son Vikramaditya's. On August 4, Vikramaditya transferred Rs 90 lakh (Rs 45 lakh each) to the accounts of Picheshwar Gade and Sunita Gade, owners of the farmhouse, from his individual account.

Stating that the payment was made from his individual accounts while the property was registered in the company's name, he alleged it was a case of benami land transaction in which Vakamullah Chandershekhar and Dev Kumar Pathak were witnesses.

He said the people of Himachal wanted to know as to who Vakamullah was and how he was linked to the Chief Minister.