ED to Investigate Hawala Link in Sarabjot Case

Investigating involvement of National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Chairman Buta Singh’s son Sarabjot Singh in a high profile bribery case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has requested the Enforcement Directorate to help locate Dhuksingh Chauhan, an alleged hawala dealer and accused in the case.

“We have sought help from ED to throw more light on this as Chauhan is an old hawala operator and further probe from our side is on,” CBI Joint Director Rishiraj Singh was quoted as saying by agencies.

Chauhan spent a year in jail under provisions of the stringent Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (COFEPOSA) Act between 1995 and 2000, he added.

The CBI official informed that a CBI team was in Bangalore searching for the third alleged hawala operator Shamalal Chaudhury who was to receive the money from Chauhan and transfer it to Delhi to Sarabjot Singh aka Sweety.

Sarabjot (40) was arrested by the CBI on July 31 for allegedly demanding a 1 crore bribe from a Nasik-based contractor Ramarao Patil to close a case against him.

Three others including Anu Begi, the middleman and two hawala operators, who were said to be working for Sarabjot Singh, were also arrested.

Searches at Sarabjot’s house in Jangpura area of Delhi led to the recovery of three unlicensed fire arms and some live cartridges.

Delhi Police have registered a case under the Arms Act against him.

Sarabjot is currently under CBI custody till August 5.

While claiming that his could have “confessed under pressure” Sarabjot’s father, Buta Singh, has ruled out possibilities of resigning from the Commission over the issue.