Kripa assets case: Sr cops give okay for filing of chargesheet

Mateen Hafeez





Mumbai: The economic offences wing (EOW) is likely to file a chargesheet on Saturday against former state minister Kripashankar singh and some of his relatives in connection with a multi-crore disproportionate assets case. Senior officers have given the go-ahead for the chargesheet to be filed, it was learnt on Friday . A notice to Singh and his family has been served asking them to be present at an anti-corruption court on Saturday.

 On February 22, 2012, the Bombay high court ordered the police to attach several properties belonging to Singh and his kin and investigate allegations of criminal miscon duct and disproportionate assets. A resident of the city had filed a PIL before the court alleging Singh and his relatives had disproportionate assets worth over Rs 320 crore.
“We are likely to file chargesheet on Saturday in an anticorruption court,“ an officer related to the inquiry said.

The PIL mentioned around 15 properties registered in the name of Singh, his wife Malti Devi, son Narendra, daughter Sunita and son-in-law Vijay Pratap Singh. The properties in the name of Singh's son in the PIL were said to be worth Rs 274 crore, but Narendra said the real estate worth over Rs 148 crore did not belong to him.

“I still believe in the police agency and I want to know whether the cops have found Rs 370 crore or not which was mentioned in the PIL and whether the allegations levelled against us were true or false,“ he said. “And if it's false, will the petitioner be punished for false allegations and torturing the whole family even though only one of them is a public servant. There is an SC order saying when you are not a public servant, the case against you doesn't stand.“

Cartridges case
On January 20, the crime branch had filed a chargesheet against Kripashankar Singh in connection with a case of illegal possession of firearm cartridges. TNN





 The Times of India, April 4, 2015

Kripa’s assets likely to be worth 370cr

Former Mumbai Congress chief Kripashankar Singh

Mateen Hafiz TNN

Mumbai: The police team probing the disproportionate assets case against former city Congress chief Kripashankar Singh has found at least five new properties collectively valued at over Rs 50 crore, sources in the security establishment said on Monday.
 

    This is reportedly in addition to assets worth more than Rs 320 crore his family is said to own.
 

    While policemen who are part of the special investigation team (SIT) declined to speak about the case, saying that they had submitted their report to the Bombay high court and the Supreme Court, sources said the police investigation was not limited to the one conducted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau. 

 

 

 ‘Kripa family income lower than what’s in ACB report’

Mumbai: Among the new properties belonging to former city Congress chief Kripashankar Singh, which have reportedly tumbled out in the police probe, are some commercial premises. The properties are said to be located in Mumbai and other parts of the state.
 

    Hearing a public interest litigation, the Bombay high court had, on February 22, ordered Mumbai police chief Arup Patnaik to probe the charges against Singh, his wife, son Narendra, daughter and other family members. The PIL alleged that Singh and his family had properties worth more than Rs 320 crore. The high court’s order came after it received the ACB’s probe report.
 

    Narendra (33) had earlier claimed that he did not own properties valued over Rs 148 crore. “I would love to see these properties. I suggest the government sell them and donate the proceeds to a charitable trust,” Narendra, who is facing charges of abetment in his father’s disproportionate assets case, had said. Despite his claims that he did not own several of the properties mentioned by cops, including an office space of 22,500 sq ft in HDIL building at BKC worth Rs 112 crore, another office space of 12,000 sq ft in Wadhwa Building, Trade Link Centre, BKC, valued at Rs 36 crore and shops in HDIL building in Bhandup, sources said the police probe had established that at least 90% of the properties were inname of Narendra or that of his relatives. 

    It is learned that as per the police probe, the income of Singh’s family is much lesser than that mentioned in the ACB report. “Also, Singhs own more properties than what is mentioned in the PIL and the ACB report. A copy of the report has been submitted to the courts in a sealed envelope and the police are continuing their probe,” the sources said. 

 

 

The Times of India, May 1, 2012

Over 18 quizzed in Kripa case

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged disproportionate assets case against former city Congress chief Kripashankar Singh and his family members has recorded statements of more than 18 persons.
    Police questioned a wellknown developer, several film personalities and businessmen connected to Singh and his family members. “The police have summoned those who had given money ortakenmoneyfromSingh’s family members, including his son, Narendera alias Sanjay,” said a police source. Sanjay, a former pilot, said he had taken loans from various banks and individuals. . “We are verifying if the transactions are correct. The police is also probing the source of income for several properties bought by Singh and his family members,” said a police officer. The statements of Singh or his family members have not been recorded yet.
    Sanjay said that the police had come to their residence for confirmation of some issues and they did cooperate with them. “We have not been called for our statements. However, whenever they come for any clarification or confirmation, we do cooperate. I think that there is need to obtain a detailed report about the ownership of the properties (mentioned in the PIL) through RTI. It will help to find out who owns these
properties,” said Sanjay.
    On February 22, this year, the Bombay high court ordered the Mumbai police to attach several properties belonging to Singh and his kin and investigate allegations of criminal misconduct and disproportionate assets.

The Times of India, April 11, 2012

Poll results, Holi hit Kripa probe in Uttar Pradesh

Mateen Hafeez TNN

OFFICIALS WAIT TO ATTACH PROPERTY

Mumbai: Officials who went to Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh to attach a commercial complex, allegedly belonging to Malti Devi, wife of former city Congress chief Kripashankar Singh, are still waiting to complete the process.

Kripashankar is being probed in a disproportionate assets case. The work of the special investigation team (SIT) was delayed due to the Holi holiday and poll results in UP. The tehsildar and other government officials, who were to be part of the process, have been engaged in other assignments.

On February 22, the Bombay High Court ordered the Mumbai police to attach several properties belonging to Kripashankar and his kin and investigate allegations of criminal misconduct and disproportionate assets. According to a PIL, the commercial complex in Jaunpur was purchased on January 29, 2008 and puts the value of the property measuring 8,000 sq ft at Rs 2 crore. “Our teams are in UP to attach the property, however, the process is pending since most government officials are busy in post-election duties,” said a police source.

Nearly 10 days ago, the economic offences wing (EOW) attached various properties collectively valued over Rs 250 crore. Meanwhile, the state government sanctioned the appointment of a chartered accountant (CA) to scrutinize the assessment of properties.

Interestingly, the PIL mentioned around 15 properties registered in the name of Kripashankar, his wife Malti Devi, son Narendra, daughter Sunita and son-in-law Vijay Pratap Singh. The total worth of the properties has been stated over Rs 320 crore. According to the PIL, the properties mentioned in Narendra’s name are worth Rs 274 crore.

However, Narendra has said the real estate worth over Rs 148 crore does not belong to him. While cops said the case should have also be investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act by the Enforcement Directorate, they said the income tax department could have been asked to participate in the probe.

The Times of India, March 11, 2012

I don’t own property worth 148 crore, says Kripa’s son

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: Narendra, son of former Congress city chief Kripashankar Singh, said that he did not own properties valued over Rs 148 crore . “I would love to see these properties. I suggest the government sells them and donates the proceeds to any charitable trust,” said Narendra, who is facing charges of abetment in his father’s disproportionate assets case.

Narendra aka Sanjay Singh (33) spoke to TOI about his properties and “wrong evaluation” by the valuer. A 2010 PIL filed before the Bombay HC said that Narendra earned lots of money and purchased properties beyond his capacity.

The HC on February 22 ordered Mumbai police commissioner Arup Patnaik to probe the charges against Narendra that he owns more than half a dozen properties collectively valued at Rs 274 crore. The PIL mentions an office space of 22,500 sq ft in HDIL building at BKC worth Rs 112 crore, another office space of 12,000 sq ft in Wadhwa Building, Trade Link Centre, BKC, valued at Rs 36 crore and shops in HDIL building in Bhandup. The total worth of these properties, as per the PIL is over Rs 148 crore. Are these properties in my name? I don’t think these properties even exist,” Narendra claimed.Narendra, who completed his XII from SIES College in Matunga, went to AER Mistran Flying School in Texas in 1996. “After returning from Texas in 1997, I could not get a job and had to wait till 2002 when I finally got a job with Jet Airways as a pilot,” he said.

According to Narendra, he worked as dispatch clerk for two months before completing his one-year training with Jet. My first salary was Rs 90,000. I served as a pilot till December 2004 and when I resigned my salary was Rs 1.08 lakh per month,” he said. According to Narendra, only 3.27 acres of land belongs to his his family and not 250 acres as mentioned in the PIL.

He said he took a loan of Rs 60 lakh from Standard Chartered Bank and bought a flat in Oceanic in Bandra for Rs 63 lakh. “I had Rs 3 lakh savings which I paid to the developer. It was a 20-year loan and I am still paying the EMI. Some people are saying that I bought a bungalow, Tarang, for Rs 40 crore. I took a ‘friendly loan’ of Rs 3.25 crore from a developer, Rakesh Wadhwa. Today the price of that flat is Rs 40 crore. But I still calculate the purchase price of what I paid,” he said. He said he was a partner in a private firm, Tridev Ventures, which constructed a six-storey building last year.

Narendra said that he booked a triplex flat in The Address in 2007 for Rs 26 crore and paid Rs 4.5 crore as token amount. “If today’s market price of that flat is Rs 48 crore, what can I say about it?” he said.

Clarification: Kripashankar Singh’s son-in-law, Vijay Pratap Singh, had worked in the PWD department of the Uttar Pradesh government before joining a private company.He had not worked in the PWD department of the Jharkhand government as mentioned in TOI’s news report on March 5. The error is regretted.


REALTY CHECK IN PIL

• Bungalow measuring 5,000 sq ft on Carter Road. Value: Rs 40 crore

• Flat measuring 3,000 sq ft in partially constructed building on Mount Mary Road. Value: Rs 48 crore

• Office space (22,500 sq ft) in HDIL building at BKC. Value: Rs 112 crore

• Office block (12,000 sq ft) in Wadhwa bldg at BKC. Value: Rs 36 crore

• Commercial space in Bhandup

• Land (959 sq yards) in plot no. 63 in Santa Cruz Planning Scheme. Value:
Rs 38 crore


The Times of India, March 10, 2012

Cops probe origin of ‘Kripa bullets’

Mateen Hafeez & S Ahmed Ali TNN

Mumbai: The city police are probing a case of 240 live cartridges being found at a ground near Janakidevi School, Versova. Investigators are trying to find out if there is a connection between these and the ones seized from the property of disgraced Congress leader Kripashankar Singh.

The Versova police on March 2 received information that a carry bag was lying abandoned near the school. A police team reached there and found that it contained the bullets. The same day the special investigation team (SIT) probing the disproportionate assets case against Singh and his family members began raiding his properties and found 450 live cartridges; Singh has three firearm licenses in his name and one in his wife’s name. “It is surprising that the abandoned bullets were found near one of Singh’s properties. We are not saying these belong to Singh or his family and are probing their origin,” said a police officer.

EOW office sought
The banking unit of the EOW has been asked to shift from the second to the ground floor of its office block in the police HQ compound to make way for the special investigating team probing the disproportionate assets case against Kripashankar Singh and his family members. TNN


The Times of India, March 7, 2012

Teams off to Panvel, Ratnagiri, UP

Mateen Hafeez

The economic offences wing (EOW), probing a case of disproportionate assets against Congress leader Kripashankar Singh and his family sent teams on Monday to Panvel, Ratnagiri and Uttar Pradesh to attach their properties. A public interest litigation filed by activist Sanjay Tiwari in the Bombay High Court in 2010 alleged that the Singhs have amassed properties worth Rs 320 crore. Police teams will attach a 1,100 sq ft shop approximately valued at Rs 1 crore at Sanistair in Panvel. Another team has gone to Ratnagiri to attach a 250-acre plot owned by the Singhs, which was approximately valued at the time of purchase in 2004 at Rs 25 crore. Special investigation team (SIT) officers have gone to Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh to attach a 8,000-sq ft commercial complex estimated to cost Rs 2 crore.


The Times of India, March 6, 2012