Mahato Confesses Receiving Rs 40 Lakh Bribe From Rao

Shailendra Mahato, an accused in the multi-crore JMM MPs bribery scam, in his confessional statement has admitted having received Rs 40-lakh as bribe to vote for the P V Narasimha Rao government during the July, 1993 no-confidence motion and that Congress president Sitaram Kesari was aware of the deal.

The confessional statement of Mahato, which was recorded by a magistrate here on March 22, came for consideration yesterday in the court of special CBI judge Ajit Bharihoke holding trial in the case.

Mahato said his leader Suraj Mandal had told him that the money had been paid by the former Prime Minister Rao on July 30, two days after the voting on no-confidence motion.

Bharihoke adjourned the hearing for today for arguments on Mahatos confessional statement after Rao and his kin V Rajeshwar Rao moved applications for opposing Mahatos plea to become an approver.

Mahato also said Congress president Sitaram Kesari had also assured the JMM MPs before the voting that they would be given what had been promised by the then Prime Minister.

Mahato said the other two JMM functionaries, Simon Marandi and Shibu Soren, had also been paid equal amounts, and Rs 10 lakh from each of their share were put in the party fund.

Suraj Mandal kept Rs 2.5 lakh for party fund, Mahato, who has pleaded the court for pardon, said.

Mahato said he had deposited Rs 39.8 lakh with the Punjab National Banks Nauroji Nagar branch in the capital and kept Rs 20,000 for his personal expenses. Besides, Rs 7.5 lakh from each ones share was also deposited in the joint account opened by all the four JMM MPs, Mahato said in his confessional statement.

When I met Suraj Mandal after receiving the money on August one, 1993 and enquired from him as from where the money has come, he (Mandal) said itna bhi nahin samajhte ho, ye paisa pradhan mantriji ne bhijwaya hai (you dont understand this even, the money has been sent by the prime minister), he said.

The money was paid to me in bargain to my vote to the rao government, mahato said. according to mahato, mandal had told him on july 29, 1993 that v rajeshwar rao promised payment of rs 50 lakh to each mps belonging to ram lakhan singh yadav group besides a petrol pump and a huda plot and those who will abstain during the voting, will be given rs 30 lakh each, suraj mandal has told me, mahato deposed.

He said that all the four JMM mps led by suraj mandal went to meet rao at the instance of former union minister buta singh on july 26, 1993 and rao had separate talks with singh and suraj mandal. After we came out of the prime ministers residence, mandal told us that payment of money to us was discussed at the meeting mahato said earlier during the meeting, rao said he needed our help and promised to help us in bargain, he told the court.

R K anand, counsel for rao, who was present in the court, told the judge that he would argue on mahatos confessional statement after comparing it with the original charge-sheet.

The counsel for other accused also held the same view.

The court directed the cbi to provide copy of the confessional statement to each of the 20 other accused including, rao, capt satish sharma, buta singh, former chief ministers of haryana and karnataka bhajan lal and veerappa moily. opposing the plea for pardon, anand told the court that mahatos conduct should be considered before accepting his application.

He said mahato had been issuing statements to media in the past about his intention to give his confessional statement and when he was in judicial custody had said that cbi was pressurising for recording his confession.

Anand alleged that mahato had disclosed all the facts to cbi in september, 1996 on the basis of which the agency wanted his statement to be recorded before the court.

CBI conducted the investigation in the light of the statement made by shailendra mahato and filed the charge-sheet in the court accordingly, anand alleged.

Earlier in september, 1996 when metropolitan magistrate rajinder kumar was not satisfied with mahatos deposition, he dropped the idea of recording his statement, anand claimed.

Accusing mahato of trying to evade punishment, anand requested the court not to consider his plea for granting him pardon.