Rs 2-cr deal lands MCI chief in CBI custody

Sources in the CBI said Kanwaljit Singh had brought Rs 2 crore sent by one Dr Sukhwinder Singh for Desai in two cardboard boxes. Sukhwinder Singh,vice-chairman of Gian Sagar College,was arrested in Chandigarh on Friday.

Desai denied the charges. “I have nothing to do with this. I don’t know what they (the CBI) have done. The only thing that I know is I am innocent,” he told The Indian Express at Delhi’s Patiala House courts where he was produced before a judge.

“The matter has now come to the court. So I cannot say anything,but it’s defaming and nothing else,” said Desai,surrounded by at least six CBI officers and a battery of lawyers. “I have done nothing wrong,” he repeated.

Special CBI Judge O P Saini remanded him and the two other accused in five days CBI custody until April 28.

The MCI is responsible for maintaining uniform standards of medical education,and recommends the recognition or de-recognition of medical qualifications obtained from institutions in India and abroad.

Desai is alleged to have ignored norms and recommendations of the MCI Executive Committee and agreed to allow admissions for the 2010-11 academic year at Gian Sagar College. The college had earlier applied for permission to start classes,but the MCI Executive Committee had decided in its meeting on February 5,2010 that the college did not address objections raised by an inspection committee,and still lacked the requisite infrastructure.

Desai had been accused of corruption earlier in 2001,but CBI had closed the case after failing to find anything on him.

Sources in the CBI said investigators had been monitoring calls on the phones of Desai and Jatinder Pal for four days after coming to know of the alleged deal. In its plea for Desai’s custody,the CBI told the court that it wanted to “know the wider conspiracy of how many colleges have been recognised like that (disregarding norms) and also we have to investigate the nexus between the three accused”.

At around 12.30 pm on Thursday,the CBI laid a trap at Jatinder’s B6/13 Vasant Vihar home. Kanwaljit arrived in a car,bringing with himself two cardboard boxes full of cash,said a CBI officer. He was arrested at 4.30 pm,and shortly afterward,Jatinder was arrested as well. Jatinder reportedly disclosed to the CBI that the cash was intended for Desai. The CBI questioned Desai until 11 pm,after which he was arrested. Raids at ten places in Delhi,Ahmedabad and Punjab followed.

CBI officers said all three accused have given disclosure statements. Sources said the CBI is currently in the process of transcribing intercepted telephone conversations between the accused,discussing the Gian Sagar deal.

Desai’s lawyers Satish Tamta and R K Handoo rejected the CBI’s charges.

“Our client was nowhere near the money,” Handoo said in court. “We don’t know anything when they took him. He has been kept in custody for more than 24 hours already. The CBI has concocted the story because he (Desai) was not present at the time of delivery of money.”

Desai was accompanied in court by Dr Vinay Aggarwal,Member (Election Commission) of the Indian Medical Association (IMA). Asked about the allegations against Desai,Aggarwal said,“This poor chap is being framed by CBI”.