New Delhi, Sep 10 (IANS) Former union minister and National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) chairman Buta Singh was Thursday questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with a graft case involving his son Sarabjot Singh.
“A two-member CBI team questioned Buta Singh at his (Lok Nayak Bhavan) Delhi office,” CBI spokesman Harsh Bhal told IANS.

Bhal said the “detailed questioning began at 11 a.m.” and lasted for a couple of hours.

Emerging out of the CBI office later, Buta Singh said he had cooperated with the investigating agency in the bribery case.

“Whatever information the CBI people sought, I have given,” Buta Singh told reporters.

He declined to disclose the nature of questions asked or the information the CBI team sought from him.

The CBI spokesman also refused to divulge details. “This is part of the investigation and nothing more can be said.”

Buta Singh had Aug 31 told the Delhi High Court that he was ready to cooperate with the CBI in the bribery case against his son.

He had earlier defied the probe agency saying it has no authority to question a constitutional functionary having powers of a civil court. Buta Singh, who was also governor of Bihar earlier, had said the central government’s sanction was necessary to question him.

On July 30, Sarabjot Singh alias Sweety was caught allegedly while taking a bribe of Rs.1 crore (Rs.10 million) from a Nashik-based contractor in return for facilitating the withdrawal of a case of atrocities against the Scheduled Castes filed against him.

He was taken to Mumbai the same night and subsequently arrested. He was later freed on bail.