New Delhi, July 30
The CBI, which is probing the disproportionate assets case against former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala and his family members in the wake of teachers appointment scam, has moved an application in a city court here pleading not to lift the freeze on the bank account of a company in which he allegedly had direct interest.
In the application moved before special judge Mamta Sehgal, the CBI said if the account of Kissan Trading Company Limited (KTCL) was de-frozen, it would hamper further investigation into the Rs 1,467-crore DA case against the former Chief Minister and other persons.
An application was earlier filed on behalf of the KTCL for allowing it to operate its account with the Oriental Bank of Commerce in Hisar to provide relief to farmers who, it said, had some interests in the company.
The court had forzen the account after the CBI registered the case against Chautala, his family members and some other persons, accusing the former Chief Minister of acquiring assets worth Rs 1,467 crore between 1998 and 2005 while he was in power.
In its reply to the plea of the company for de-freezing the account, the CBI contended that the assets being probed were “accumulated assets”, including a huge chunk of land, multiplexes, residential buildings, hotels, farmhouses, business firms and petrol stations.
Besides, it also involved huge investments abroad and none of these properties could be accounted for by the accused during the investigation, the agency had claimed.
The company’s management claimed that nearly 1,000 poor farmers had sales account with the company and they were directly being affected due to the freeze order.
Mr Sandeep, a partner in the KTCL, who moved the application termed the CBI action of initiating proceeding for the freezing of its account as “arbitrary and illegal”.
He also claimed that he had nothing to do with the DA case against Chautala and his family members.
According to the CBI, Chautala, his daughter-in-law Naina Singh, wife of his elder son Ajay Chautala, had direct interests in the KTCL.
The special CBI court is likely to take up the matter for further hearing on August 4.
The case was registered by the CBI after raiding various premises of Chautala in May when the alleged assets were detected by the agency. The raids were conducted by the CBI, which was directed by the Supreme Court, to probe into the teachers’ appointment scam against Chautala about two years ago while he was still in power. The petition in the matter is still pending in the apex court.
