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2019 LS polls: Complaint against BJP MP Arjun Singh for suppressing crucial information in electoral affidavit

2019 LS polls: Complaint against BJP MP Arjun Singh for suppressing crucial information in electoral affidavit
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Kolkata: A complaint has been filed against BJP MP from Barrackpore Arjun Singh for non-disclosure of some crucial information while filing his nomination to contest Lok Sabha polls in 2019.

It has been alleged in the complaint that Singh had not disclosed facts about his marriage with another lady in the electoral affidavit while filing his nomination papers. Singh had filed his nomination on April 17 in 2019 and affirmed an affidavit mandate under Rule 4A of the conduct of Election Rules mentioning "Mrs Usha Devi Singh as his spouse".

However, it has been stated in the complaint to the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, that "it appears that the said affidavit is false as one Mrs Srabanti Singh is also the spouse of Mr Arjun Singh. As a matter of fact, Mr Arjun Singh and Mrs Srabanti Singh also have a child…who was born on June 2 in 2008".

The complainant, one Somnath Shyam, who is a resident of Jagatdal in North 24-Parganas, has also furnished documents including a photocopy of one affidavit (dated September 22 in 2012) in which both Srabanti Singha Roy and Arjun Singh both "solemnly declare and affirm as under…that we are married under Social Hindu Marriage Act/rights/customs and are living together as married couple since November 28 in 2004." It further reads as "that Srabanti Singha Roy would henceforth be known as Srabanti Singha Roy Singh by virtue of our marriage." It also carries the joint photograph of the BJP MP and Srabanti along with both of their signatures.

The complainant has also attached a photocopy of Srabanti's passport carrying Arjun Singh's name as her spouse. It also shows Srabanti as a resident of one residential apartment on BT Road in North 24-Parganas. At the same time, birth certificate of their 12-yar-old son (issued by Kolkata Municipal Corporation as he was born in a private hospital in Kolkata) carrying "Arjun Singh" and "Srabanti Singh" as the name of the child's father and mother respectively. The certificate issued by the hospital also shows "Srabanti Singh as the wife of Arjun Singh".

The complainant alleged that "it appears that Arjun Singh has deliberately concealed details of Mrs Srabanti Singh and their son to avoid disclosure of 'dependents' as mandated under Form 26 under Rule 4A of the conduct of Election Rules 1961 under which it is necessary to provide details of movable and immovable assets of dependents". He further stated in the complaint, which he sent to ceo-election-wb@nic.in along with all documents as attachments on November 5, that dependents defines as "parents, son(s), daughter(s), of the candidate or spouse and any other persons related to the candidate whether by blood or marriage, who have no separate means of income and who are dependent on the candidate for their livelihood".

It has also been alleged that Singh did not disclose facts in the electoral affidavit about his and Srabanti's investment to hold shares of one Bangalore Fort Farms Limited whose corporate office is at Brabourne Road.

When contacted, Arjun Singh said: "I will give the right reply at the right time when the concerned authority will only raise questions before me in this regard."

It may be mentioned that Singh was the chairman of Bhatpara Naihati Cooperative Bank with which a scam of Rs 12 crore is related and the BJP MP's nephew Sanjit Singh alias Pappu was arrested on October 10 in this connection.

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