Raj CM says Shekhawat 'guilty' in Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society scam

Jaipur, Feb 22 (IANS) The war of words between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat appears to be intensifying over the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society scam as Gehlot has openly declared Singh as "culprit like the others".

A day after Shekhawat attacked Gehlot accusing him of trying for his "political assassination", the Rajasthan Chief Minister retaliated by claiming that like the rest of the culprits in the Sanjivani scam, the crime against Gajendra Singh has also been proved.

Taking a dig at Shekhawat, Gehlot said, "The Union Minister is trying to mislead the public in the case of Sanjivani Co-operative Society Limited scam. In the investigation of the Special Operation Group (SOG), the crime has been proved against him under the same sections as the other arrested accused.

"He himself knows this very well. Singh knows that Sanjivani Society has looted the life time deposits of more than one lakh victims amounting to more than Rs 900 crore. Even the properties of the accused in the Sanjivani scam have not been attached.

"In this case, the right to attach property is with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and not with the SOG. SOG has requested the ED to attach properties belonging to Sanjivani Society five times in the last two years. Despite this, the ED, which raided the houses of opposition leaders across the country, has not even attached the properties of the accused in the Sanjivani scam," he alleged.

Taking a dig at Gajendra Singh, Gehlot said, "You yourself are a Union Minister, if you are innocent then why don't you come forward to get the money back from the poor."

"The Central Registrar has appointed a liquidator in this matter, but he will be able to return the money to the victims only when the property of Sanjivani Society is attached and the money is recovered from there. The central government should take strict action in this matter, in which the Rajasthan government will cooperate fully," said the Chief Minister.

Gehlot said, "Sanjivani Scam Victim Sangh people met me at the Chief Minister's residence in Jaipur about six months ago and two days ago at Jodhpur Circuit House.

"I also got emotional listening to their words that how they were cheated and looted of their hard earned money. Crores of rupees of many victims have been drowned in this scam.

"I have video recordings of all the victims in which their pain is coming out. If there is moral standing, then Gajendra Singh should listen to them and understand what a big crime he has committed.

"Being a Union Minister, why haven't you been able to get the ED to take action yet? The public will have to answer this. The Rajasthan government will continuously contact the ED to ensure justice to the victims.

It needs to be mentioned here that Gajendra Shekhawat had retaliated on Gehlot's allegations a day earlier. Shekhawat said that the CM was trying his "political assassination".

Shekhawat had said that Gehlot terming him as an 'accused' in the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society scam is akin to his "political assassination to settle scores".

He said, "The SOG presented three charge sheets, but there is neither my name nor my family's name anywhere. Still the Chief Minister called me an accused, he said while talking to the media at the state BJP headquarters on Monday evening.