AAP leader files fraud complaint against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

LUDHIANA:

Vinod Thapar

, state vice-president of AAP’s industry, transport and trade wing, has lodged a police complaint against party chief Arvind Kejriwal, former

Punjab affairs in-charge

Sanjay Singh, former

co-observer Durgesh Pathak

and two others for “fraud and blackmailing”.

Talking to mediapersons on Thursday, Thapar alleged that Durgesh Pathak and Sanjay Singh took money from him for Punjab assembly elections for arranging meetings with Kejriwal. He added leaders demanded Rs 2 crore from him, for getting him a ticket as a party candidate for state elections.

AAP leaders in Ludhiana, however, denied the allegations.

In his police complaint given to police commissioner R N Dhoke on Wednesday, Thapar alleged that Durgesh Pathak and Sanjay Singh indulged in “fraud and blackmailing” by continuously assuring him of party’s ticket before the elections and even took money for the same, but he never got the ticket. He added the party didn’t give him receipts for the donations collected by him from various persons.

Thapar claimed the leaders kept taking money from him in installments for ticket and for arranging meeting with AAP national convener Kejriwal at his residence, but they never fulfilled their promise. He added that he gave money to Sanjay Singh and Durgesh Pathak in the presence of seven witnesses whom he has named in his complaint to the police.

The police commissioner confirmed that he received a complaint from Vinod Thapar on Wednesday. He added that he has marked the same to assistant commissioner of police (ACP) for investigation.

AAP refutes claims, questions motive and timing

AAP leaders Ahbaab Singh Grewal and

Darshan Saingh Shankar

termed the allegations as “completely false, baseless and made under a conspiracy hatched in connivance with the ruling party”.

“The party gave him much respect than his stature and made him state senior vice president of transport, trade and industry wing, where he was seen sharing dais with the senior leadership during all the important functions,” the leaders said in a statement to the media.

Questioning the delay in the filing of complaint, they said levelling allegations against the national leaders three months after the elections and formation of Congress government clearly showed that he was speaking in his “master's voice”.

“Under alliance with Lok Insaaf Party (LIP), four seats in Ludhiana were left for that party and there was no scope of a ticket to him in the city. Even he had campaigned for LIP candidates in Ludhiana Centre and North from where he had aspired to be a party candidate. He may be hoping for some bigger post, assuming AAP would come to power,” they alleged.

“Now when AAP could not form the government, he started conniving with ruling Congress, hoping for some adjustment in the government. Even his pictures were seen with some top functionaries of Congress recently,” they said.

The leaders also claimed that the party never accepted any money without receipts for any functions. “If he had himself collected money from people, then it was a gross financial offence on his part,” they said.

Both the leaders claimed that it is now completely “clear” that Thapar had joined the party to get a ticket or a post in the government, expecting that AAP would form a government after election, which remained unfulfilled.