Ten years after land title change complaint, cops book MP deputy opposition leader

Bhopal, Feb 12 (PTI) Police on Wednesday booked MP deputy opposition leader Hemant Katare and his family members besides then officials of Bhopal Development Authority over the alleged grant of land to a partnership firm in violation of norms during 2004-2009, a release stated.

The Congress accused the BJP government of trying to suppress the Opposition.

A complainant was lodged by one C R Dutta, a resident of Bhopal, in February 2015 alleging that the land was allotted to High Speed Motors at Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in Bhopal in violation of rules and the land use was changed to commercial.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Police stated the FIR was registered against partners of High Speed Motors, namely Hemant Katare, his mother Meera Katare, brother Yogesh Katare, the latter's wife, and others.

They were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for cheating, criminal conspiracy, and forgery of a document, the release stated.

The EOW stated that officials, including then BDA CEO KP Rahi and OSD Manoj Verma, purportedly allotted the said land by violating rules and changing the land use to commercial.

A petrol pump was subsequently set up on the allotted land.

Reacting to the development, Hemant Katare took a dig at Chief Minister Mohan Yadav over the delay in registering the case.

"I wanted to ask the chief minister what were you doing since 2004 till date? What kind of politics is this where those holding posts in the opposition ranks suddenly become corrupt, but when not holding any post, no case was registered against us?" he stated.

Katare said his widowed mother, who is 70, has also been booked.

"I have full faith in the judiciary and will fight this battle with full strength. The truth will eventually come out," he said.

Katare's father, the late Satyadev Katare, was a senior Congress leader who had served as the leader of the opposition in the Madhya Pradesh assembly.

Incumbent LoP Umang Singhar alleged the case was a tactic of the state government to pressure the opposition.

"The case, which is more than 10 years old, was filed against Katare, who has been cornering the government on various issues. This is an attempt to suppress the voice of the opposition, but Congress cannot be cowed down," he stated. PTI ADU NSK

Source: PTI