(From top) Samresh Singh calms the Sikh crowd; drops a “bombshell” against the chief minister and rubs his eyes before firing another. Picture by Uma Shanker Dubey

Jamshedpur, Jan. 30: Samresh Singh today kept his promise of slapping more charges on the chief minister. He made another promise though: the evidence will come sometime next week.

The irrepressible former science and technology minister fired a fresh volley of salvos at Arjun Munda, accusing him of being a “criminal by birth”.

“Munda is not a political man. He is a criminal by birth,” Singh said at the much-awaited news conference where he had promised to drop a few “bombshells” against the chief minister whom he had accused of being “corrupt”.

Ten years ago, Singh claimed before a packed audience, Munda was involved in a bank dacoity in West Bengal. “There was a bank dacoity in Malbhumi Gramin Bank in Gidnih area of Midnapore in 1994. An FIR was lodged in connection with the case at the local police station. Munda’s name figured in that FIR,” he alleged.

Asked to furnish details of the FIR, Singh said it was up to the reporters to investigate. “I have all circumstantial evidence. But I will reveal it on February 2 in Ranchi.”

Then came “bombshell number 2”. Singh blamed the chief minister for the loss of about 40 lives at Oraon bustee in Sitaramdera in 1995. “These innocent people of the slum died after consuming illicit liquor. The spurious hooch was supplied by Munda through one of his close friends, Satnam Singh. Satnam was murdered a few years ago. Had Satnam been alive, he could have spilled the beans,” Singh said.

The chief minister tossed aside the allegations and dared Singh to furnish proof. “Let him produce the evidence, if he has any. Allegations without any documentary proof are meaningless,” Munda said. In turn, he accused Singh of trying to gain cheap publicity to hide the irregularities that he had committed as minister.

Munda reiterated his claim that Singh was annoyed with him ever since he ordered a vigilance inquiry against him about a month ago. “I will open my mouth when I have concrete evidence,” he said.

Singh, who quit the ministry after being stripped of his portfolio, dismissed the charge. “I have not been involved in any irregularities.” He repeated his charge that the chief minister was a “dalal” of the house of Tatas. “It is at Munda’s initiative that the state government is going to provide industrial town status to the city. If that happens, the Tatas will become zamindars of the city. It defies any logic why Munda has a soft corner for them,” he said.

Singh, who had earlier claimed the chief minister was on his way out, said Munda would have to go by January 31 midnight. “If he does not go by that deadline, we will force him to go on February 2. I have the support of 15 ministers,” he said.

The Opposition, which had called a statewide bandh yesterday demanding dismissal of the Munda government, is, however, paying a wait-and-watch game.

Earlier, on his way to the city from Bokaro, a crowd of about 300 Sikh youths and women blocked the highway near the Pardih checkpost in protest against Singh’s outburst against Indrajeet Singh, brother of Gurmeet Singh, the business partner of Munda’s wife.

Singh had branded Indrajeet an “extremist”.

Waving placards like “Samaresh vapas jaon (go back Samresh)” and black flags, the people blocked the passage of Singh’s cavalcade of about 20 cars and jeeps.

Amid the altercation that ensued between the former minister’s supporters and the Sikh youths, Singh suddenly stepped out of his jeep and stood on the bonnet with folded hands. “Sikhs are my friends. I cannot hurt that community,” he said.

That’s another promise he has made.