Congress alleges Rs 6,000 cr scam by Gujarat BJP leader, demands CBI probe

New Delhi: The Congress has demanded a Supreme Court-monitored CBI investigation into the alleged Rs 6,000 crore ‘ponzi’ scandal by BJP leader Bhupendra Jhala of Gujarat.

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, senior Congress leader and Gujarat PCC president Shaktisinh Gohil alleged that Jhala used his BJP connections to lure unsuspecting poor and middle-class people, farmers and pensioners to invest in his “ponzi scheme” promising to double their money within two years.

He said that the mastermind of the scam was now absconding, and police have not been able to trace him so far.

Gohil demanded that the matter must be investigated by CBI under the supervision of a Supreme Court sitting judge.

He also played some tapes showing Jhala's picture with senior and prominent BJP leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

He also referred to earlier incidents where prominent BJP leaders were involved in shady deals including the NEET paper leak scandal, in which it was found that a BJP leader who runs a school in Gujarat was the mastermind.

He said, a DSP of the Gujarat Police had mentioned this in an affidavit.

He said in the Surat drug haul case, the main supplier and kingpin turned out to be a BJP leader.

He said the BJP should answer as to how this con man, named Bhupendra Jhala, had easy access to senior party leaders like Amit Shah with whom he even got himself photographed.

Gohil further said in Gujarat there is a practice that if the Chief Minister or a Minister has to go to a public function, the Intelligence department does an advance investigation to check the credentials of the organizer.

He asked whether the Gujarat CID did not alert those leaders who attended Jhala’s functions and provided him credibility, which he misused and duped thousands of people of their hard-earned money, he added.