Cheating case against MP oppn leader

Indore, Feb 14 (UNI) A cheating case has been registered here against Leader of the Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Jamuna Devi, her brother Narayan Singh Singar and daughter Dr Hemlata Verma after a probe by the Superintendent of Police (Scheduled Castes Welfare), posted at Bhopal, found a complaint prima facie true.

The case was registered at Sanyogitaganj Police Station yesterday. A fake Scheduled Tribes certificate was allegedly submitted for securing admission for Ms Hemlata in a medical college here in 1965.

''The action is inspired by political vendetta. The Bharatiya Janata Party regime's orchestration led to hatching of this conspiracy for sullying my image. The case is baseless and I am contemplating lodging a defamation case,'' the Congress leader said in a statement issued at Bhopal.

Police said that Khandwa district's Mehnu village-resident Ramsingh Pallavi lodged a complaint at the SC Welfare SP's office in August last year alleging that Ms Devi was married to Mr Gulabchand Verma who hailed from the Backward Classes, not SC. Following inquiry, the Inspector-General, Bhopal, sent a report to his counterpart here. The probe was conducted secretly as the case related to the Leader of the Opposition.

Dr Verma is employed at the Maharaja Yashwantrao Hospital.

''The case is a reaction to my exposing corruption against the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his ministerial colleagues.

A senior police officer posted at Indore is also behind the case,'' said Ms Devi.

UNI XC-AC 1728