Corruption charges against Salman Khurshid's Trust

, Oct 11: The Congress faced yet another embarrassment after a news channel alleged that one of its sting operation found a trust chaired by the Union Law Minister,

, indulged in corrupt activities to corner funds meant for the physically challenged. The allegations go that Khurshid's Trust has forged stamps and signatures of senior officials in the state. [Update:

]

The trust, Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, is registered at Khurshid's residence in Jamia Nagar area in the national capital and has Louise Khurshid, Salman's wife and a former legislator, as the chief project director. The Trust is registered as an NGO and reportedly receives funds from various ministries. However, it is learnt that the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has stopped extending funds to the Trust on grounds that the Khurshids did not reply to explanations sought on alleged malpractices.

The TV channel, which also probed some senior officials of both the UP and central governments, said that it accumulated evidence of the forgery committed from at least 10 districts of UP. The channel said that the state-wide inquiry that the UP government had ordered in January this year concerning the malpractices in a project directed by the Trust was in response to a letter from the social justice and empowerment ministry. The project was related to providing aid to physically-challenged people in 17 districts of the state, including Farrukhabad, Khurshid's home town.

The channel said that the report of the director sent to the state's special secretary comprised 'forged' signatures and stamps of officials who allegedly verified the trust's work. The 2009-10 report of the trust was signed by Louise Khurshid, it is learnt. Louise, however, rubbished the allegations.

The BJP demanded an inquiry into the case, saying it was a clear case of corruption. It said the law minister himself was indulging in unlawful activities.

Khurshid's wife says IAC's charges baseless

India Against Corruption (IAC) on Wednesday alleged financial irregularities in the functioning of Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, run by Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid, a charge his wife Louise Khurshid rejected.

Talking to reporters in Lucknow, IAC Member Sanjay Singh alleged that large-scale irregularities had come to the fore in grants given by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to the trust for the welfare of physically impaired people.

Singh alleged that instead of distributing the aid to disabled people the grant was embezzled by organising fake camps and through fake signatures of the officers.

In a statement issued in Delhi, Louise Khurshid, also the Trust's project director, termed the allegations "malicious and baseless". She was referring to similar allegations levelled by a news channel.

Singh alleged that signature of the chief medical officer of Etawah was found to be fake and handicapped welfare officer of Mainpuri, Tapasvee Lal, was not even aware that a letter in his name with fake signature and seal had reached Delhi.

"This is irrelevant and bizarre because the Trust has never submitted any document to any other authority where it claims or which are signed or held out to be signed by one Tapasvee Lal," she said in the statement.

OneIndia News

(With PTI inputs)