While AAP is busy distracting from the nature of accusations against Nitin Gadkari by suffering more damage than him and talking about that suffering rather than multiple-DIN Nitin Gadkari (it is an evil denounced by the BJP with much outrage), it is a good time to put them up again and leave readers to decide whether this is corruption or an innocent being defamed with false accusations.
These are direct extracts from investigative reporting by media houses. Nitin Gadkari is welcome to sue them for defamation as well.
This is IBNLive
Nitin Gadkari aides including ex-driver were directors in 26 companies
Days after revelations of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Gadkari's former driver being the director of some of the alleged benami companies that funded Gadkari's company, CNN-IBN has now accessed more documents. The documents show that four of Gadkari's very close aides, including his former driver and accountant, have been directors in at least 26 companies and that too within a period of the past four years.
Gadkari's former driver, Manohar Panse was a director in 11 companies between 2009 and 2011. Gadkari's very close aide, Kawdu Zade, has been a director in 16 companies in the same period. Purti employee Nishant Agnihotri has been a director in 13 companies.
A very close aide, Sagar Kotwaliwale has been a director in 9 companies. Like the controversial Purti Sugar and Power Private Ltd. in Nagpur, there are three more companies controlled by the 4 close aides of Gadkari.
CNN-IBN had on Thursday also accessed details of one of the alleged shell companies that invested in Gadkari's Purti Group. Regency Equifin Pvt Ltd interestingly has Gadkari's accountant Kawu Zade and other employees in Purti as directors.
Also, records show that Regency Equifin both borrowed from and lent money to Gadkari. The company bought shares worth Rs 4 crore in Gadkari's Purti Group in 2008. The 2008-09 balance sheet of Regency Equifin shows Gadkari gave unsecured loans of Rs 26 lakh. In 2011, the balance sheet of Regency Equifin shows that the loss-making Purti gave Rs 95 lakh to it.
The Income Tax department on Thursday began probe into Purti Power and Sugar Ltd (PPSL). I-T authorities said they will also probe source of funds of the 18 companies that invested in Purti. Prima facie evidence suggested that shell companies had invested in Purti. Sources said that if necessary Gadkari might also be summoned in the case.
"I-T departments of Mumbai and Pune have started their probe into Gadkari's Purti Power and Sugar Ltd," sources said. The agency is also expected to submit a report to Central Board Direct Taxes (CBDT) soon.
The 18 companies will be summoned in due course. I-T department sources said that it would be very difficult to prove the quid pro quo. "If necessary Gadkari might also be summoned but that call will be taken by investigating officer in due course of the probe. I-T has already started gathering documents relating to these companies," said sources.
"We will trace the source the funds of the companies including the 18 companies that invested in Purti," a top I-T official said on condition of anonymity. He said prima facie 'shell' companies (inactive firms used as a vehicle for various financial manoeuvres or kept dormant for future use in some other capacity) had pumped money into PPSL.
Gadkari is at the centre of a raging controversy over funding of PPSL with media reports claiming that major investments and large loans to Purti were made by Ideal Road Builders (IRB) group, which had won contracts between 1995 and 1999, when the BJP chief was PWD minister in Maharashtra.
Reports also claimed that shell companies were floated for making investments and their fake addresses were submitted to the Registrar of Companies. On Tuesday, Corporate Affairs Minister Veerappa Moily had said that Registrars of Companies would inquire into the allegations. On his part, Gadkari has denied the allegations and said he was prepared for a probe.
Here's more from BJP's oh so loyal Times Now.
Here. One more from Times Now
Here NDTV finds that these supposed directors may not be aware of being directors and address provided for firms are fake.
Astrologer, driver are directors of investor firms for Nitin Gadkari's company
Through a partly opened door Manisha Sharma said, "My husband Vishnu Sharma is an astrologer. He works from home, looking at people's horoscopes. He does not work anywhere else." Mrs Sharma was responding to questions about her husband's links with BJP president Nitin Gadkari. Mr Sharma himself, his wife said, was away in Jaipur.
Vishnu Sharma is listed as a Director in Ashwami Sales and marketing and Earnwell Traders, both of which have bought over Rs. 5.5 crore worth of shares in Mr Gadkari's Purti Group. According to documents filed with the registrar of companies, Mr Sharma was appointed a Director of Ashwami Sales and Marketing in June this year.
Ashwami shares its company's address with two other entities - Earnwell Traders Private Limited and Swiftsol India Private Limited. But none of these companies exist at the address, 10 Govind Karman Chawl, in suburban Mumbai's Malad. It's the residence of the Soni family since the last 15 years.
Earnwell and Swiftsol together own about Rs. 5 crore worth of shares in Purti.
Ever since NDTV exposed mystery companies that have invested in Nitin Gadkari's Purti Power and Sugar Private Limited, more details of these companies and its Directors are emerging everyday.
All of them point to the loopholes in Mr Gadkari's defence. On Saturday, when NDTV broke the story of mystery investors in his Purti Group, Mr Gadkari had said his investors are friendly businessmen and professionals who he turned to fund his company.
Nitin Gadkari had said, "Any individual can purchase any share from any company. Basically there are 10,000 farmers. The farmers are the members of Purti. Now on that equity it was difficult to get the loan, so we approached many people from society - industrialists, traders, businessmen, investors."
But what is emerging is that investor companies have as their directors astrologers, Mr Gadkari's personal aides and his own driver Manohar Panse. One of these companies is Ashwami, the same which has Vishnu Sharma, the astrologer as its Director.
When NDTV went to the residential address of Mr Panse in Nagpur, given by the company to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, we were told that he did not live there. He lives exactly opposite, in Wada, Mr Gadkari's' home in Nagpur. Today though Mr Panse, we were told, was not there.
Instead, we met his son who said he had no idea if his father was a Director in one of the companies that had invested so much money in Mr Gadkari's company. Amit Panse said if his father was made Director, it was because he has been working loyally for Mr Gadkari for 22 years.
Panse was also a Director at one point in another mystery company All Wise Finvest. This company has bought shares worth Rs. 3 crore into Purti Power and Sugar Private Limited.
False addresses, directors who are personal aides, directors who are clueless about the existence of these mystery companies - all raising questions about the sources of funding of Purti Group.
So here is the icing on the cake of these investigations. Threats to Income Tax officers. This would be Economic Times.
Nitin Gadkari threatens I-T officials investigating Nagpur-based Purti Group
A bellicose Nitin Gadkari on Thursday threatened revenge against Income Tax officials, who are investigating his controversial dealing with the Nagpur-based Purti Group. A day after the sangh parivar capitulated to outraged public opinion and handpicked Rajnath Singh to lead the BJP, Gadkari warned the tax officials of "retribution" when a government headed by his party takes over the Centre.
Financial jugglery appears to be an open secret. Here's what the Commission of Inquiry on the Adarsh Housing Society found according to The Hindu. Of course, Maharashtra Cabinet scrapped the report right off the bat.
Gadkari aides figure in benami transactions
A firm, of which MP Ajay Sancheti’s brother Abhay is director, financed 8 buyers in Adarsh
The Commission of Inquiry on the Adarsh Housing Society has found 22 transactions to be benami, eight of the buyers having been financed by the San Finance Corporation, of which the BJP Rajya Sabha member Ajay Sancheti’s brother Abhay is a director. The Sanchetis are considered close aides of the former party president, Nitin Gadkari.
All 22 transactions are barred under the Benami Transaction (Prohibition) Act 1988, says the report, since tabled in the Maharashtra Assembly and already rejected by the Cabinet.
I guess someone needs to explain to Gadkari that it ain't defamation if it is true.
There were nice attempts to whitewash Gadkari but content doesn't really die on the internet.