'BJP was trying to give Bhujbal a backdoor to escape'

'Sameer and Chhagan Bhujbal's arrest is directly the impact of the PIL filed by the AAP in the Bombay high court.'

Aam Aadmi Party National Spokesperson Preeti Sharma Menon, below, left, says that Maharashtra's former public works department minister Chhagan Bhujbal's arrest in the Rs 850 crore (Rs 8.5 billion) money laundering case is the direct impact of the public interest litigation filed by her party in the Bombay high court on August 26, 2013.

The Anti Corruption Bureau under the state Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena government and the Enforcement Directorate under the central government, Sharma Menon alleges, were trying to stall the investigations into the case, but it was only after the Bombay high court admonished the ED recently that the agency first arrested Sameer Bhujbal and then his uncle Chhagan Bhujbal under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

She spoke to Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com

How do you react to Chhagan Bhujbal's arrest by the Enforcement Directorate?

I am absolutely delighted that truth has prevailed. They have done this because they are part of the special investigation team that is monitored by the Bombay high court, which was constituted when the Aam Aadmi Party filed a public interest litigation explaining in detail the money laundering which took place when Chhagan Bhujbal was the public works department minister.

In as much as people might think this arrest is in connection with the Maharashtra Sadan scam, the fact is that there were 11 different instances when builders paid kickbacks to the Bhujbal family or the trusts set up by them or their companies because of the contracts they had received from Chhagan Bhujbal.

For the construction of Maharashtra Sadan?

Absolutely not. This has got nothing to do with Maharashtra Sadan.

Right now this is being done in connection with the money received (by Chhagan Bhujbal and his family members) from builders for the MIG Colony redevelopment project, which was later cancelled.

These monies were received (by the Bhujbal family); it later went into a company called Blue Circle from where it went to Bhujbal's son's (Pankaj Bhujbal) company called Devisha.

So, this misrepresentation that the piddly Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) construction of Maharashtra Sadan resulted in his arrest is absolutely wrong.

Rs 850 crore of money laundering is what has happened and we had given the court (the Bombay high court) the full proof and it is the court that appointed the SIT and that is the reason that the ED has arrested him.

The (Maharashtra) BJP government under which the ACB (Anti Corruption Bureau) comes had totally stalled the investigation into this (Rs 850 crore money laundering by the Bhujbal family).

The state BJP government and the ACB had done everything in its power to stop this investigation from going further, but the (Bombay) high court prevailed upon the ED and the ED has finally acted and arrested Chhagan Bhujbal and his nephew.

I am really very happy with this arrest.

You are saying that the AAP should get all the credit for Bhujbal's arrest.

If you go to the ED they will say that they were doing this investigation based on the PIL filed in the Bombay high court in Case No 23 of 2014 which was filed by the Aam Aadmi Party.

So, the AAP is the rightful claimant for the credit for Bhujbal's arrest?

We are not fighting for credit, but this is plain-speak. That is what it is. We filed a PIL and he has been arrested under the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) because we proved the money laundering.

But these charges need to be proved in a court of law.

PMLA is the charge that we put on him. The Maharashtra Sadan Scam was a meaningless scam that alleged that a Rs 56 crore (Rs 560 million) contract was inflated into a Rs 100 crore contract, which is really nothing compared to the Rs 850 crore money laundering scam.

This is a case where 11 different instances of contracts were given to builders. All these builders were given contracts and in return money was transacted into the accounts of the Bhujbal family companies and trusts.

How significant is his arrest in proving his culpability in a court of law?

There is proof in black and white. That is the reason they (the ED) had to go and arrest him because there is nothing they can do to escape it (the proof).

There is evidence about where the money came from and to whom the money was paid. There is absolutely no room for doubt.

The ACB had been prevaricating because it was under the (Maharashtra) BJP government and it was trying to give him (Chhagan Bhujbal) a backdoor room to escape.

<>But then isn't the ED under the central government too?

It is the BJP government... however.

So, how can you claim that the BJP is hand in glove with the NCP in as much as protecting Chhagan Bhujbal from the law of the land?

Because on January 28 this year, during our court case the ED was fired (admonished) by Justice (V M) Kanade and Justice (Revati) Mohite Dere of the Bombay high court and they (the ED) were asked why they were not taking any action.

Three days after that Sameer (Chhagan Bhujbal's nephew) was arrested.

So, it (Sameer and Chhagan Bhujbal's arrest) is directly the impact of this case (the PIL filed by the AAP in the Bombay high court).

So, you are alleging that the central government also wanted to protect Chhagan Bhujbal and the ED arrested him because of the pressure of the Bombay high court?

Absolutely.