MHA’s surprise: Withdraws FIRs on misuse of Rajiv, Sonia’s names

NEW DELHI: In a surprise move, the Union home ministry has ordered withdrawal of three FIRs, including one alleging misuse of the names of Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi and forging letters of several MPs, against a Delhi-based businessman and his associates. Withdrawal of the FIRs, in which chargesheets have already been filed in courts, was ordered in “public interest”.

On the basis of the instructions, the Delhi government’s home department wrote to Delhi’s director of prosecution in the last week of November to take necessary steps to withdraw the FIRs against businessman S P Gupta and others, registered in police stations of Connaught Place (90/2000 and 99/2000) and Defence Colony (148/2002).

The three FIRs are about allegations that Gupta defrauded a Delhi-based finance company, VLS Finance. Gupta and his associates are also accused of forging letters of several MPs, and using an organization named after Rajiv Gandhi to write to various authorities making allegations against VLS.

The chargesheet filed before a Delhi court on January 17, 2006 in FIR number 148 by the Delhi Police said S P Gupta, his associate S H Siddiqui and others had forged letterheads of MPs to lodge complaints against VLS Finance.

The police found that Siddiqui “has used the name of Smt Sonia Gandhi as the chief patron of his All India Rajiv Kranti Kari Sanghthan” with an office in the national Capital. An OSD to Sonia in the National Advisory Council confirmed during the investigations that she had nothing to do with the organization or Siddiqui, the chargesheet said.

“Sonia Gandhi has nothing to do with the above mentioned organization of S H Siddiqui. The conspiracy of S H Siddiqui with S P Gupta is clearly established,” the chargesheet says.

Withdrawal of the FIRs is puzzling, given the sensitivity that Congress regimes show when it comes to protecting the interests of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Investigators found that Gupta and VLS Finance had fallen out over an investment made by the latter in Sunair Hotels Ltd, of which Gupta is the chairman. VLS Finance had complained to Delhi Police that Sunair had defrauded them, by misleading and not paying back their investments. There were at least three FIRs filed against Sunair related to the VLS investment.

Documents show that the home ministry is also examining withdrawal of a fourth FIR against Gupta on the grounds of “public interest”.