Digvijaya Singh wants leak of CBDT report on 2019 poll cash deals probed

Singh alleged that the four police officers probing multi-crore e-tendering scam, while at the economic offences wing (EOW), were targeted in the CBDT report.

Rajya Sabha MP and former chief minister Digvijaya Singh demanded a high-level inquiry in the leaking of a CBDT report on cash deals in Madhya Pradesh during general elections 2019, calling it a deliberate breach of confidentiality, while the BJP claimed that a probe into the CBDT report will ‘expose’ the wrongdoings by the previous Congress government.

Digvijaya Singh alleged that the 4 police officers named in the CBDT report were being targeted for probing a scam under BJP regime. (HT File Photo)

“The report of raids having details and findings was purportedly leaked. It’s a breach of confidentiality of CBDT and Income Tax. A high-level probe should be conducted in the matter,” Singh said on Saturday.

According to a general administration officer (GAD) officer, a 904 pages report by the central board of direct taxes (CBDT) was sent to MP chief electoral officer (CEO) by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to lodge a criminal case against four police officers, who received hefty amount of unaccounted cash during the election.

The report is on alleged illegal transfers of huge amounts of cash to the Congress headquarters in Delhi. MP CEO Veera Rana forwarded the report to GAD for further action.

“In the report, the four police officers, who were probing multi-crore e-tendering scam while their posting at the economic offences wing (EOW), were targeted. The 1000 crore scam was busted during the regime of BJP-led state government but the probe was started by Congress-led state government in 2019. BJP leaders dethroned the previous Congress-led state government to save themselves from the actions of the investigative agency,” Digvijaya alleged.

He went on to claim that BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya had already ‘confessed’ to BJP’s hand in overthrowing the Congress-led state government.

“Had the Congress government completed its tenure of five years, many BJP leaders would have been exposed, Singh added.

The Rajya Sabha MP also targeted an officer, whose name had surfaced during an Income Tax raid in 2013 in MP.

“An FIR should be registered against the officer because he also transferred money in the accounts of BJP leaders,” he added.

However, BJP state president VD Sharma said that an EOW investigation will ‘expose’ the corruption under the previous Congress government. “The Congress-led state government was the most corrupt government. Digvijaya Singh had once said that elections can be won with management and the CBDT report exposed the management. Now, EOW will investigate the matter and reveal the level corruption took place during 15 months of Congress-led state government,” said Sharma.