Let Thind name his godfather, says CM

Shimla, Nov 29 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today asserted that he was not suspended ADGP B S Thind's ''godfather'', saying that an attempt is being made to tarnish his image in the issue.

''If anyone has to answer who Thind's godfather is, then it is the suspended ADGP himself. Let him name his godfather,'' he said at a press conference here.

Suspended state ADGP had written a letter to his son soon after his arrest in Punjab asking him to meet the ''godfather'' who was in Dharamshala at that point of time and urge him to take up the matter with the Union Home Minister and ensure his bail, failing which he would be suspended.

Reacting on the issue for the first time, Mr Singh said he was 'godfather to the people of the state' but not to criminals and in particular, to Thind, against whom the law would take its own course.

He said the state government had nothing to do with the police officer, who has since been suspended by the government, as all cases of financial irregularities against him were in Punjab and Chandigarh.

Asserting that the Himachal Government had at no stage attempted to subvert the system to protect any corrupt official, including Mr Thind, he said anyone with concreate evidence should come forward.

The Chief Minister said the police officer had perhaps violated the service and conduct rules by not informing the state government of his property in the neighbouring states for which the state government had already issued him a show cause notice.

Questioning the very authenticity of the letter itself, Mr Singh said did any court, any investigating agency like CBI or other respectable institution released it.

''How could one take the contents of the letter on face value, when its very authenticity was in question,'' he added.

Referring to the BJP's charge that Mr Thind would have been the state's DGP had the CBI not arrested him, he said the new DGP's appointment was purely on merit basis unlike the previous BJP government that appointed Mr AK Puri as the DGP after superceding eight other senior police officers.

Mr Singh said appointment of two DGP's, Ajit Narain and present incumbent Ashwani Kumar's, were purely on merit basis and keeping in view the interest of the state.

Mr Singh said former Chief Minister P K Dhumal should clarify whether he was former HP Subordinate Services Selection Board Chairman SM Katwal, former HP University Vice Chancellor SD Sharma and Pro Vice Chancellor's godfather.

He should also answer who was the kingpin of the HPSSSB recruitment scam, he said, adding that people who were themselves guilty should not point fingers at others.

UNI AS HS PA BD1538