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‘Falsely implicated,’ says Minister

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

UNITED STAND: Puducherry Education Minister M.O.H.F.Shahjahan (centre), along with Agriculture Minister V.Vaithilingam (right) and Welfare Minister M.Kandasamy addressing a press conference in Puducherry on Thursday.

PUDUCHERRY: Minister for Education M.O.H.F.Shahjahan on Thursday said he was “falsely implicated” in a case of financial transaction to the tune of Rs.1.90 crore, even as two of his Cabinet colleagues accused some persons of trying to “bring disrepute to the Congress government in the Union Territory, besides tarnishing the image of party president Sonia Gandhi”.

Referring to the FIR filed by the D.Nagar police on Wednesday against him and five others under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code including Section 441 (trespassing), 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) in the case, as directed by the Judicial Magistrate-II court, Mr.Shahjahan said the police action was “politically motivated”.

The move against him was “instigated by the interested politician to link up this issue to smear my name and my family,” he added.

Addressing a hurriedly convened press conference along with Minister for Agriculture V.Vaithilingam and Welfare Minister M.Kandasamy, he said he had resigned as director of the M.O.Hasan Kuthoos Maricar (P) Ltd on April 5, 2006 and it had been duly registered with the Register of Companies.

Referring to the financial transaction between M.O.Hasan Kuthoos Maricar (P) Ltd and Agate Finance Company Ltd of Chennai in 1997, he said, if there was any dispute in this regard, the financial agency could have approached a civil court.

The owners had filed two civil cases, one pending in Madras High Court and another at Puducherry disputing the sale of the property by Agate International using their power of attorney given to the agency, he said. On the basis of a complaint lodged by a co-owner of the company, the Judicial Magistrate-I court in Puducherry had directed the Reddiarpalayam police on December 18, 2007 to register the FIR against the Agate International, he added.

Though the direction was given under Section 156 (3) of Cr.P.C., the police had not carried out the court order but they had acted against him within about two hours of the court direction, he said. He also accused the police of acting “lopsided” though the direction in both the cases was the same.

To a query, Mr.Shahjahan said the police would have filed the case only with the knowledge of the Chief Minister who is holding the Home portfolio. “Whoever is holding the portfolio has to take responsibility for this.” He was prepared to face the case against him, he added.

Through the All India Congress Committee observers, the party high command had been apprised of the facts of the case against him, he said.

Mr.Vaithilingam said the FIR had been registered against the Education Minister on the same lines of the case booked against Health Minister E.Valsaraj recently to “tarnish his image.” He also expressed the apprehension that similar charges could be levelled against other three Ministers also.

About reports of “infighting” in the Cabinet, the three Ministers said, “All the five Ministers will stand united in their endeavour to strengthen the hands of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.”

Denying that they had ever demanded shifting of Chief Minister N.Rangasamy, they said the Ministers were only trying to help the administration to take corrective measures.

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