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Journalism of Courage
The elusive Sameer Bhujbal 8212; nephew of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal 8212; finally kept his date with the Special Investigation Team SIT today.
The portly Sameer 29 did not reveal what questions were asked by the SIT as he appeared three weeks after the first summons. 8216;8216;There were some technical questions. My lawyers told me not to discuss anything outside,8217;8217; Sameer told The Indian Express.
The SIT office at Worli in central Mumbai was choc-a-bloc with Nationalist Congress Party workers and journalists as Sameer arrived in a silver Accent around 2 pm. Dressed in his trademark white shirt and black trousers, Sameer was accompanied by cousin Pankaj Bhujbal. Party workers along with general secretary Sachin Ahir threw a cordon around bespectacled Sameer before he was led into the make-shift SIT office.
Sameer has been in New York since December 5 last year. He was reportedly trying to drum up funds for his educational trust, housed in a massive marble complex in Bandra called the Mumbai Educational Trust. He8217;s being interrogated for alleged pay-offs for police appointments and links with petro-products dealer Antim Totla, suspected to be a key middleman with Telgi.
Sameer is considered a key NCP frontman, credited with ensuring a huge turnout for the party8217;s Mumbai rally in 1999 when the party was still in its infancy.
Sameer8217;s lawyer Parvez Rustomkhan did not want to speak to the press. 8216;8216;I8217;m too busy8217;8217; was all he had to say.
Sameer was grilled by the SIT for almost five hours. He was let off at 6.20 pm but he is likely to be called in again for another round of questioning.
8216;8216;As soon as we complete other formalities and the need arises, we will call him in again,8217;8217; an SIT official said. Totla has already been questioned for his alleged links with Sameer. SIT officials are bound to corroborate Sameer8217;s testimony on Monday with Totla8217;s statement.
