New Delhi, Oct 16 (IANS) An angry Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh Friday denied accusations of involvement in a Rs.500 crore money laundering scam and said he would file a defamation case against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati.
“I don’t have any pending dues against any bank. It is Mayawati’s habit to lodge such cases against us. We know how to handle such attacks,” Amar Singh told reporters at a conference here.

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan and Singh have been accused of involvement in a Rs.500 crore money laundering scam in a complaint lodged with Kanpur police.

The complaint was filed by local businessman Shivkant Tripathi late Thursday. The first information report has charged Bachchan and Singh, who are close friends, of being involved in a major fraud through money laundering.

“I will file a defamation case against Mayawati and the Uttar Pradesh government from mine and Amitabh Bachchan’s side. Mayawati herself is a habitual law breaker and it has been said by the Supreme Court in their order,” Singh added.

According to Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General of Police Brij Lal, “the complainant has accused Amar Singh of floating half a dozen companies in which 43 companies were amalgamated allegedly with the intent of siphoning off tonnes of black money.”

“Amitabh Bachchan figures among the key stake holders in most of the companies, while Amar Singh’s wife Pankaja Singh is shown as a partner,” Lal said.

According to Lal, “the companies, mostly registered in Kolkata, were identified as Eastern India Chemicals Pvt Ltd, Sarvottam Pvt Ltd, Pankaja Art and Credit Pvt Ltd, EDCL Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, EDCL Powers Ltd and Energy Development Company.”

Cases were registered under the Money Laundering Act as well as Prevention of Corruption Act. “The provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act could be invoked in view of Amar Singh’s then appointment as chairman of the UP Development Council,” the official said.

While complainant Tripathi could not be contacted, the police were not sure how they would proceed with the case.

“A case of fraud has been registered with the Babupurwa police station and only after preliminary investigations are done will we be in a position to affirmatively comment on the actual extent of the alleged fraud,” he pointed out.