Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh in Trouble

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh landed in a big trouble after opposition Congress brought a serious allegation against him ahead of the polls. Congress alleged that the CM and two of his ministers took bribes in crores in a bank fraud case.

The opposition released a CD along with the transcript of a narco-analysis test of Bank Manager Umesh Sinha, an accused, to expose the CM and two ministers in the bank scam. The bank officials of Raipur-based Indira Priyadarshimi Mahila Nagarik Cooperative Bank allegedly had paid Rs. 1 crore each to the Chief minister, two senior cabinet ministers, the then Director General of Police and others in 2006.

It was alleged that the board of directors had allegedly siphoned off over Rs. 54.38 crore through false fixed deposit receipts (FDR), demand drafts, pay orders and distribution of loans to ineligible persons on the basis of fake documents. The RBI revoked the bank’s licence in September 2007.

Bank Manager Umesh Sinha and directors of the cooperative bank were arrested in the scam. The CD was released by Chhattisgarh Congress’ programme coordinator Bhupesh Baghel and party spokesperson Shailesh Nitin Trivedi at a press conference at the Congress Bhawan on Saturday. They claimed that the CM and his ministers received Rs 7 crore as bribe from the bank officials.

In fact, Dinesh Patel, son of former state party chief Nand Kumar Patel, was planning an expose against Raman Singh and his ministers on June 15. However, the father-son duo were killed in a Naxal attack in May.

The Congress demanded a CBI probe against Raman Singh and his ministers into the case. However, Chhattisgarh Education Minister and BJP leader Brijmohan Agrawal dismissed the allegation.