Jaipur, June 17: The Lalit Modi controversy that has embroiled Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje has also sucked in her son Dushyant Singh, with the Enforcement Directorate investigating a transfer of Rs 11.63 crore to a company owned by the BJP MP.
A public interest plea in Delhi High Court today alleged that black money was routed through the deal.
According to an exposé by a television channel, Lalit's company, Anand Heritage Hotels, had paid the amount in April 2008 to Niyant Heritage Hotels Private Ltd, a company owned by Dushyant and his wife Niharika.
When Dushyant, the BJP MP from Jhalawar-Baran, some 340km from Jaipur, started his company in 2005, its shares were priced at Rs 10 each. Three years later, when Lalit bought a stake in the company in 2008, he bought each share for over Rs 96,000. The reports said a total amount of Rs 11.63 crore was transferred to Dushyant's firm through loans and purchased shares.
In Delhi High Court, Poonam Chand Bhandari, a lawyer, filed the PIL, saying black money was transferred through Modi's company.
While Dushyant could not be reached for comment, few in Rajasthan was willing to speak and most denied knowledge about the deal. Even Congress leaders in Dholpur, the region where the family of Raje's husband Hemant Singh comes from, were reluctant to open up.
But a reliable source, who refused to be named, had a word of caution for Vasundhara. Lalit held the "cards", the source said, adding that the BJP leader and her family appeared headed for more trouble. "The cards are now in Lalit Modi's hands," the source said. "Many more secrets may tumble out, given the nature of relationships between Raje and Modi and their family ties. He is privy to many more things and, given his precarious status, he can spill the beans anytime."
Vasundhara, the source added, "needs to be cautious".
The source, however, said the perception that Vasundhara was instrumental in Lalit's rise in the world of cricket was not entirely true.
"Modi's family has a well-established business history. They are not short of money. Even if she was not there to help, he would have found his way into the cricketing world anyway. There are so many other cricket associations. He is a master strategist. Nobody can beat him there. Also, all this talk about Raje being his ladder to success is not really true," the source said.
In Dholpur, some 260km from Jaipur, where the family-owned five-star Raj Niwas Palace is situated, residents said mother and son were not frequent visitors to the heritage hotel.
Back in Jaipur, Vasundhara spent the whole day at her residence, attending scheduled meetings. She also met some party leaders, including state BJP chief Ashok Parnami.
Asked about a memorandum of understanding that the Rajasthan government signed with the Champalimaud Foundation, where Lalit's wife Minal was treated for cancer, Vasundhara's pointman and state health minister Rajendra Singh Rathore said there was "no irregularity" in the MoU.
"Rajasthan gets around 60,000 cancer patients every year and we found the Champalimaud Foundation of Lisbon to be the best and cheapest to provide cancer treatment and technical support to our patients here," Rathore said. "It is funny how people are twisting things."