‘Graft case a fallout of Raman Singh-Ajit Jogi nexus’

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CGPCC) president Bhupesh Baghel, his wife and mother on Friday walked into the office of Economic Offences Wing to ‘surrender’ themselves but later began a sit-in inside the office after EOW officials refused to arrest them in connection with a case registered against them last week on the charge of alleged irregularities in an over two-decade old housing scheme.

Baghel, former minister and legislator, his wife Mukteshwari Bai and mother Bindeshwari reached the EOW office, asking officials to record their statements and offering to surrender. After the officials refused to arrest them saying that probe is yet to be started, Baghel and his family refused to leave EOW office, demanding that EOW officials take further action.

Accompanied by senior Congress leaders, including the former leader of the opposition Ravindra Choubey and former minister Mohammad Akbar, Baghel and his family members began a sit-in inside the EOW office, alleging that the case was slapped on them due to political vendetta. Scores of Congress workers gathered outside the EOW office, where the staff tried to prevent them from entering the premises but the crowd pushed the gates open to enter the office. While leader of the opposition T S Singhdeo and other senior party leaders have also reached the EOW office, party men camped outside the office raising slogans against the BJP government.

Meanwhile, PCC chief’s mother Bindeshwari complained of uneasiness and was examined by doctors. Later, she was shifted to a nearby hospital, state Congress general secretary Ramesh Varliyani told TOI.
Baghel alleged that that the case was the fallout of a nexus between Raman Singh and former chief minister Ajit Jogi to tarnish the image of the Congress party as the state is scheduled to go for polls by November next year. “Government woke up after 22 years to register cases against my mother and wife. We have all relevant documents. Do they have courage to arrest us? None of the EOW officials turned up for more than one year. I insisted on recording our statements and immediate arrest. They don’t have any questions to ask,” he told reporters.