Cbi To Match Payments To Sharma Against Deals

This case is an off-shoot of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha case in which former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao and some of his cabinet colleagues including Satish Sharma have been charged with buying the votes of four JMM members when a no-confidence motion had been moved in the Lok Sabha against the minority Congress government in 1993.

Stung by Videocon group's denial that its promoter Venugopal Dhoot had admitted before the CBI that he had made political donations to Satish Sharma, the CBI has started probing the files of the contracts with renewed vigour.

According to a copy of a statement recorded by CBI inspector V K Pandey on October 15, 1996, Venugopal Dhoot has said: "There is a practice in business circles to donate money to national political parties. Our business house also makes donations in cash as and when the political party requires. I remember that I had given some donation to the Congress also during 1993-94. As far as I remember off the record payments have been made at different times to Captain Satish Sharma in 1993 and 1994 and subsequently also."

The statement goes on to say: "The exact amount I am unable to recollect. But I can say that payments were made through Shri Safaya to Captain Satish Sharma. Such payments were sent by me after getting messages on phone from Captain Satish Sharma. Such payments were sent by me to Kuldeep Drabu, executive officer of Videocon, with the instruction to hand (them) over to Safaya, additional private secretary to Captain Satish Sharma. I do not remember whether Kuldeep used to pay money to Safaya himself or through some one else but after the delivery he used to confirm over the phone."

Dhoot's statement, along with that of senior executives of another big industrial group, forms part of the document submitted by the CBI to support its chargesheet in the JMM case.

Videocon is not the only company whose name appeared in the CBI chargesheet against the politicians. While some corporate houses were quick to deny making payments to Satish Sharma, senior executives of at least two major corporate houses including Videocon admitted before the CBI officers that they did make political donations to politicians.

The initial argument advanced by these executives was that the money paid was purely political donations without any quid-pro-quo attached.

It was Reliance Industries which took the initiative in denying that it had ever paid any donation. Subsequently, others started pondering over their statements.

The denial by Videocon has rendered the statement admitting payment of political donations recorded before the CBI almost redundant unless the agency can establish its claim through independent evidence. Any statement made before a CBI or police officer is not admissible in court as evidence.