Reliance man had Dawood ‘links’
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 29 — V. Balasubramaniam, president of the Reliance Industries, who was found to be a close associate of self-styled property dealer-cum-politician, Romesh Sharma, had connections with Dubai-based underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

The Additional Commissioner of Police (Southern Range), Mr Amod Kant today said although there was no evidence to suggest that Reliance Industries was aware of Balasubramaniam’s connections with Dawood, the Reliance official had been involved in a number of deals with Romesh Sharma. He had also apparently used the Dubai connections of Sharma for some personal deals, which the police was still not wanting to disclose.

Mr Kant said that Balasubramaniam had apparently come in contact with the underworld don when the master criminal was extorting money from the leading industrial houses. Romesh Sharma was acting as a ‘conduit’ between Balasubramaniam and Dawood.

Raids had been conducted on the premises of Balasubramaniam last night. Raids had been conducted at the New Friends Colony house and the Connaught Place office by a joint team of the Delhi Police and income tax authorities after obtaining a search warrant.

He said ‘incriminating’ documents, computer floppies and some government papers had been seized during the search. These included papers relating to a helicopter that had been parked at the farmhouse of Sharma, who has been arrested on several charges of forcible acquisition of the helicopter and illegal detention of its owner.

Mr Kant categorically stated that till now there was no evidence to suggest the involvement of the Reliance group with the underworld don. Balasubramaniam in a statement also said he had no ‘improper’ dealings with Sharma. "Dealings, if any, with Romesh Sharma have been in my personal capacity and have nothing whatsoever to do with Reliance."

Reliance also said in a separate statement that neither the group, nor anyone on behalf of Reliance, had any dealings with Sharma.

Some papers relating to the government were among the papers seized by the Delhi Police during the raid at the residence and office of Balasubramaniam. Some of the papers of the chopper which was taken from Mr Suresh Rao, was passed on to Balasubramaniam by Sharma, Mr Kant said.

The seized documents were going to be legally examined, Mr Kant said. He said that some floppies and some more documents were also found in the house. The income tax officials had seized those documents.

Sharma had been remanded to judicial custody "but we are going to request the court for police remand." Till now, 14 cases have been registered against Sharma "all of which are under investigation." A fresh case against Sharma was registered today.

The coordination committee which has been formed to handle the case will look into the "strong overtones" of the Dubai connection. The committee consists of officers from the investigating agencies, including the CBI, Income Tax, Enforcement Directorate and Delhi Police.

Mr Kant pointed out that in this particular case there may be an overtone of extortion. There had been instances of extortion bid from business houses before, he said.

The police claimed to have uncovered properties allegedly worth over Rs 500 crore, including 15 foreign cars, and documents pertaining to over a dozen houses in Delhi, Mumbai and Jalandhar, from Sharma.

Meanwhile, a Delhi court today directed the Tihar Jail authorities to produce Sharma, before it tomorrow in connection with a land grab case.

The direction was issued by Metropolitan Magistrate K.S. Mohi on a complaint filed by the crime branch of the Delhi police, which alleged that Sharma had forcibly acquired a farm house of M.K. Subba at Chattarpur in South Delhi.

In a related development, the Delhi High Court today returned a petition by Sharma and asked him to file an amended petition by November 9.

A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice Devinder Gupta and Mr Justice S.N. Kapoor said the current plea contained "vague statements" and the affidavit was also not clear.