Union Minister of State Gen (retd) V K Singh has appointed Shambhu Prasad Singh, a controversial former defence contractor who was arrested by the Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing last year, as his political attache.
While Shambhu is facing trial in a disproportionate assets case registered by the CBI in 2002, the agency also filed a preliminary enquiry (PE) against him in January this year.
In a letter to then Ghaziabad District Magistrate S V S Rangarao on June 6, which has been accessed by The Indian Express, V K Singh said, “I have appointed Dr S P Singh as my political attache, whose task is to interact with district and other administrative functionaries, to resolve the issues of the constituents of Ghaziabad.” The former Army Chief won the Lok Sabha elections from Ghaziabad.
While V K Singh was not available for comment despite several calls and text messages sent by The Indian Express, Shambhu said, “I am neither OSD nor his personal staff in any ministry. I am just assisting him in his constituency, Ghaziabad.”
In his new role, Shambhu visits Ghaziabad over the weekends, listens to the problems of local workers and residents, and acts as the liaison between V K Singh and the local administration. Sometimes, he invites some for meetings at Akbar Bhawan, Shashtri Bhawan or Vigyan Bhawan Annexe, where V K Singh has his offices as MoS of three different departments — Development of Northeastern Region (independent charge), External Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs.
On the cases against him, Shambhu said, “I am a victim of a conspiracy hatched by a former top officer of the Delhi Police who has tried to malign my image because I always tried to expose his immoral activities, including his relationships with various nefarious men and women, as well as his activities of extorting money through the Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing.”
Booked for cheating and forgery in February last year, Shambhu was arrested on May 8, 2013. His arrest followed a complaint filed by Anil Dhanraj Jethani, a businessman, who alleged that Shambhu had sold him a property in New Delhi. According to the complaint, after Jethani paid the money, he came to know that Shambhu had already leased the property to a third party, an NGO, National Thinkers Forum, which was run by himself.
CBI sources said the PE against Shambhu was filed in January this year in connection with a 2011 case, in which two companies belonging to his Rely Group — Dynamic Shells and Sai Baba Builders & Consultants — were alleged to have been involved in financial irregularities and provided fake bank guarantees to the Assam Rifles.
While the Delhi Police is yet to file a chargesheet against him, Shambhu said he has filed an appeal in the high court for quashing the cases against him.
via The Indian Express
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