Source of `1.25 crore bribe paid by Gidwani under CBI scanner
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is trying to unearth the source of the Rs1.25 crore that former member of legislative council Kanhaiyalal Gidwani gave to tax consultant JK Jagiasi in order to dilute the Adarsh case. HT reports.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is trying to unearth the source of the Rs1.25 crore that former member of legislative council Kanhaiyalal Gidwani gave to tax consultant JK Jagiasi in order to dilute the Adarsh case.
From the Rs 1.25 crore, Jagiasi reportedly gave Rs25 lakh to CBI’s retainer counsel Mandar Goswami. CBI sources said the agency believes the entire amount (Rs1.25 crore) does not belong to Gidwani, and that there are two more people who pitched in to ensure that the Adarsh case would be diluted. The money was paid through hawala, an illegal channel through which money is transferred.
Sources added that they would get the names of the other contributors – one of whom is suspected to be from outside Mumbai – once they were able to question Gidwani.
Sources said that Jagiasi deposited Rs 1 crore in 39 bank accounts belonging to him and his family members on three or four different dates.
CBI officials also said that Jagiasi was the main link in the entire bribery racket. He was well acquainted with Gidwani and Goswami. While he had shared a flat with Gidwani around 25 years ago, he used to file income tax returns for Goswami.
According to the CBI, Jagiasi, Gidwani and Goswami met twice last February after the registration of the first information report (FIR) in the Adarsh scam in January. One meeting took place in Jagiasi’s office and the other near Shivaji Park, they said. The CBI believes it was Jagiasi who approached Gidwani with a proposal to dilute the Adarsh case.
During initial questioning, both Jagiasi and Gidwani kept blaming each other on who had approached whom first. The CBI is also investigating whether Jagiasi had tried to influence the accused in any other case that is being probed by the agency.