Rajasthan BJP to approach court over 'Hawala deal'

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya today said the party will move court seeking a probe into a money transaction from Mauritius to a firm of an associate of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son, a charge refuted by the CM office.
Somaiya had in March alleged that the firm Sivnar Holding Pvt Limited, having its address in Mauritius, had bought shares of the loss-making firm at an exorbitant rate.
The BJP leader had distributed a bunch of documents to buttress his claim that the foreign company had 50 per cent stake in a hotel of the firm, where the chief minister's son Vaibhav is a legal consultant.

Somaiya claimed that he visited Mauritius recently to check about the status of the company, but there was no such company at the given address.
"No such company exists at the given address in Mauritius. It was a fake company and the money invested in the company of the associate of chief minister's son is actually Hawala money," Somaiya said at a press conference here today.
No government authority despite our complaint has initiated any inquiry, he said.

The BJP leader was in Mauritius on July 17 and 18.
"I met officials of the Mauritius government to inquire about the company and I was told that they have received no complaint against such company.

"I had submitted complaint against the illegal transaction to competent authority in Central government but no action was taken so we now plan to go to court seeking probe in the matter," he said.
However, a government spokeperson said, "the allegation is completely baseless and has no credibility."
PCC leader Rajiv Arora had also rejected the allegation as "baseless".