MP minister files Rs 20 crore defamation suit against CLP leader for leveling corruption charges

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh transport minister Govind Singh Rajput has slapped a defamation suit of Rs 20 crore against the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Umang Singhar for leveling corruption charges against him.

This was informed by Mr. Rajput to the media here on Tuesday.

The minister accused the Congress leader of ‘holding brief of another person’ to make ‘baseless allegations’ against him.

It is very well known in the political circles here at whose behest the Congress leader is leveling charges against him, he claimed.

Mr. Rajput’s outburst against Mr. Singhar comes in the wake of the latter moving the economic offence wing (EOW) of Madhya Pradesh police on Tuesday demanding a probe into the alleged scam in the state transport department.

The Congress leader claimed that he had submitted documents to establish the charges against the minister.

Mr. Singhar also approached the Lokayukta here with ‘documents’ demanding a probe by the investigating agency against the minister in the alleged scam.

The alleged scam came to light when the Lokayukta raided a former constable of state transport department Sourav Shukla in December last year.

The raids had led to seizure of cash and gold from his house.

In another development, a cash of Rs 11 crore and 52 kg of gold were recovered in a car, abandoned in a forest area on the outskirts of the city by the income tax department on the day of Lokayukta raids in Sharma’s house.

The car from which the valuables were seized belong to one Chetan Singh Gaur, an associate of Sharma.

Interestingly, no one has so far staked claim on the seized valuables.