Jagat accuses FM of influencing Volker probe; ED denies

New Delhi, June 30 (UNI) Jagat Singh, son of former External Affiars Minister K Natwar Singh and an accused in the oil-for food scam, today alleged that Finance Minister P Chidambaram was influencing the Volcker probe, while the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) denied the allegation.

Mr Jagat Singh said the EDirectorate ''gave him'' the Union Finance Minister's name.

''Well, that is what I have been led to believe. Senior officials in the Directorate of Enforcement have taken Mr Chidambaram's name.

It is under specific instructions of Mr Chidambaram that we are to find something on you even if it is not Volcker-related,'' Mr Jagat Singh told CNN-IBN in an interview.

The ED, however, later denied allegations made by Mr Jagat Singh, saying the investigations conducted into the Volcker Committee report on the Oil-for-food progrmme were in accordance with the law and not influenced by any person or extraneous factors.

The Congress described Mr Singh's statement as irresponsible and said that disciplinary action might be taken against him if he persisted with such kind of statement.

Congress Spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said that since Jagat Singh himself has accepted that he has no material to back up his charge, it amounted to an irresponsible statement.

A few days ago, Mr Natwar Singh had accused the UPA Government and top government functionaries of trying to ''fix'' him and his son in the Oil-for-Food scam.

Mr Natwar Singh had alleged that ''people in his own government' were trying to implicate him in the oil-for-food scam.

The former External Affairs Minister had said he had also written to the Prime Minister regarding the issue.

UNI Team PK RAI2153