New Delhi, June 22
On the eve of UPA-Left-BSP presidential nominee Pratibha Patil filing her nomination papers, a widow today alleged that the former Rajasthan Governor was shielding her brother in a murder case.
Professor Rajni Patel alleged that Patil was shielding her brother G N Patil in the murder of her husband Prof V G Patel in 2005 on the Mumbai-Agra highway.
Addressing a press conference at Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa's official residence here, Rajni Patel said that the police was not properly investigating the case, as top Congress politicians were involved in it. She demanded a speedy and impartial CBI probe into the case.
The Mumbai-based Rajni, who said that Pratibha Patil had been protecting the culprit, said she had given a memorandum to President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam giving
details about the allegation.
V G Patel was the chief of the Zila Congress Committee when he came to know of the corrupt dealings of Congress politicians. This is believed to be the main reason behind the contract killing, she alleged.
Congress, meanwhile, rubbished the allegations and said Rajni Patel had been "planted" by the NDA.
Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan commented that the office of the President was being brought to controversy by the NDA for their selfish gains. However, she said, if someone had any grievance then they should “knock at the right doors and the law will take its own course.”
Interestingly, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, whose premises was used by Ms Patel to address the press conference, the former was unaware of not only the press conference but also the subject matter. Dhindsa was in Shimla.
It is learnt that the premises of Dhindsa was sought by INLD supported Rajya Sabha Independent MP, Tarlochan Singh following a request from former Officer on Special Duty in Prime Minister’s Office Sudheendra Kulkarni “for interacting with a group of newspersons”.
Tarlochan Singh, who was in Dehradun, as part of a parliamentary standing committee work, claimed that he was totally unaware of the events in the premises of the Akali leader. He is reportedly returning to Delhi tonight after he learnt about the incident.
