NEW DELHI, MARCH 5: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a charge-sheet against former Union minister P K Thungon for possessing assets of Rs 1.08 crore disproportionate to his known sources of income.In its 10-page charge-sheet, filed under Sections 13(2) and 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, before the special CBI Judge Ajit Bharihoke here today, the investigating agency has claimed that Thungon had acquired huge assets during his short tenure as minister from June 1991 onward. The CBI had registered a case against him on October 8, 1996.The charge-sheet stated, ``For the purpose of computing Thungon's income, assets and expenditure, check period has been taken when he was sworn as Minister of State (June 24, 1991 to April 13, 1996) i.e. when searches were conducted in the housing scam cases and Thungon got alerted about the imminent raids of CBI at his residence also and started dissipating his liquid assets.''It went on to add that, ``On the basis of theinvestigation prior to June 24, 1991 Thungon was not having much of assets. His assets started swelling up after he became Minister of State in the Union Council of Ministers in June 1991. Thungon was Minister of State in Union Council of Ministers from June 24, 1991 to September 9, 1995 and from September 9, 1995 to April 1996.''The investigations revealed that Thungon's income during the check period was Rs 92,75,847 and the likely savings was possibly Rs 33,76,216. It was also discovered that the total assets acquired by him during this period was Rs 1,41,92,748. On the basis of these figures it was calculated that the assets disproportionate to his known source of income amounted to Rs 1.08 crore. In 1994, advocate Shiv Sagar Tiwari had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court challenging the large number of out-of-turn allotments made by various ministers under their respective discretionary quotas.The charge-sheet explains that in February 1996, the SC directed the CBI toinquire into the allegations and if the allegations are substantiated then register regular cases against those found responsible. In this connection Thungon's residences in New Delhi and Bomdila (in Arunachal Pradesh) were raided on July 10, 1996 ``which resulted in the recovery of incriminating documents''.Thungon was the first chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, and remained in the post till 1979.
