I owe banks Rs 43 lakh only, says Thind

Shimla, Jul 20 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh's reinstated Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) B S Thind today refuted allegations that bank loans amounting to several crore are yet to repaid by him, saying that he owed banks a sum of Rs 43 lakh only now.

Reacting to news story in an English daily, the ADGP said he had repaid an amount of Rs 2.65 crore out of a total of Rs 3.80 crore bank loans raised for 17 different properties.

Mr Thind said Vijay Bank's loan amount of Rs 2.65 crore, Punjab and Sind Bank's Rs 25 lakh, ICICI's Rs 11 lakh, Bank of Punjab's six lakh, Indian Overseas Bank's Rs five lakh, State Bank of Patiala's Rs 10 lakh and HUNDCO's Rs 10 lakh has been paid.

''I have paid back the loans before the scheduled time. I am also negotiating with the remaining banks for a final settlement to prevent penal and compound interest,'' he said.

Besides, he said it was factually incorrect that banks loans were raised against the same property as 17 different plots having different registries were pledged with different banks.

The police officer said it was also factually wrong that he had not informed the state government about these land deals, as he had informed it about these deals in 2001.

Asserting that the CBI had no jurisdiction to investigate or arrest him, Mr Thind said he would, however, not like to comment on the issue as it was sub-judice.

He claimed that two senior officers, members of the Review Committee of his suspension, got his suspension extended beyond six months due to malafide reasons. ''The issue has been challenged in the Central Administrative Tribunal.'' They had acted against him in this manner because he had conducted enquiries against these officers in the eighties and one of them had been charge sheeted for his lapses by the then government, he said.

Similarly, Mr Thind said he had also objected with the state government against appointing the then DGP Ajit Narain Singh and ADGP Prem Singh members of the committee since they were inimical towards him.

Since the matter was pending before the High Court, it would not be proper to comment on them now, he added.

UNI