BJP calls for CBI probe into firms owned by Bansal's kin

CHANDIGARH: Stepping up the heat on railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal following his nephew's arrest in a graft case, BJP today called for a CBI probe into three firms floated by his relatives which had allegedly profited under "shelter" provided by him.

"The turnover of these firms, with family members of the Union minister as their directors and share-holders, increased many times in the past five years due to shelter provided by Bansal to these companies in legitimising black money," BJP's legal cell chief and executive member Satya Pal Jain alleged.

Jain distributed copies of documents pertaining to the said firms and demanded that the union minister should be interrogated over the affair.

"Bansal floated these firms and appointed his relatives as directors and share-holders against the norms of the Companies Act," he further alleged.

The documents distributed by Jain showed loans and advances received by ' Vibgyor Designs Private Ltd', 'Bansi Raunaq Enery Group Ltd' and ' Theon Pharmaceuticals Ltd', three firms where the directors and share-holders are relatives of Bansal, including his wife, two sons and their spouses.

He questioned the source of funding for floating the above firms and allotment of shares to Bansal's relatives.

Jain also circulated the "statement" submitted by Bansal on his assets and liabilities in 2012 where he showed no loans from Theon Pharmaceuticals.

"Bansal must resign on moral grounds for preserving the dignity of the country," Jain said.

Bansal was caught in the eye of a political storm after his nephew was arrested by CBI last week for allegedly accepting a payment to enable a railway official to land a plum post.

Meanwhile, BJP workers, led by local party leader Sanjay Tandon, today staged a demonstration close to the CBI office here seeking Bansal's interrogation by the investigative agency.