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Day after he joined BJP, forgery case reopened against Scindia

A land grab case lodged against Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in 2014 and closed by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in 2018 for lack of evidence was reopened on Thursday after the complainant claimed to have fresh evidence in the case.

The development came a day after Scindia severed ties with the Congress and joined the BJP, triggering a political crisis in Madhya Pradesh.

On Thursday, the Madhya Pradesh EOW decided to verify the facts in the complaint filed by one Surendra Shrivastava against Scindia and his family, who have been accused of falsifying a property document while selling land.

"Yes, an order has been given for re-verification of facts in the complaint filed by Surendra Shrivastava," an EOW official told new agency PTI.

According to an EOW release, Shrivastava on Thursday alleged that Scindia and his family forged a registry document to sell him a piece of land at Mahalgaon which was smaller by 6,000 sq feet than the original agreement in 2009.

While the complainant had lodged the complaint first on March 26, 2014, it was investigated and closed in 2018.

"As he again petitioned us today, we will re-verify the facts," the officer said.

However, Scindia's close aide Pankaj Chaturvedi alleged that it was political vendetta.

"The case had been closed for want of evidence. Now for vengeance, it is being reopened. We have full faith in the Constitution and law. We will get justice and the Kamal Nath government a befitting reply," Chaturvedi said.

After joining the BJP on Wednesday, Scindia lashed out at his previous organisation and said the party is not the same as it used to be and is far removed from reality.

"I would like to thank JP Nadda ji, PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah that they invited me to their family and gave me a place in it," Scindia told media minutes after being inducted into the BJP. He further said the country's future is totally secure in PM Modi's hands.

In a veiled attack on the Kamal Nath-led Congress government, Scindia also said, "the dream we saw for Madhya Pradesh has been shattered in 18 months."

On Thursday, he warned the state government that its collapse was imminent.

"Whenever the Scindia family is challenged, there are consequences," he said while speaking at the state BJP headquarters. He recalled how his grandmother, Vijayaraje Scindia, had uninstalled the Congress government in the state in 1967 after she had been slighted. He said even his father, Madhavrao Scindia, was falsely accused of involvement in Hawala scam, an allegation which had equally serious consequences.

(Inputs and image from theindianexpress.com)

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