Sachin Pilot steps up attack on Arun Jaitley over kin's alleged biz link with Mehul Choksi

Accusing Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley of being in collusion with absconding billionaire Mehul Choksi, the Congress on Monday stepped up pressure on the Narendra Modi government to sack him besides launching an independent probe.

Producing documents as evidence, Congress leader and Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (RPCC) chief Sachin Pilot said first Jaitley's daughter Sonali Jaitley and son-in-law Jayesh Bakshi's legal firm Jaitley & Associates took Rs 24 lakh from Choksi's Gitanjali Gems in December, 2017 to save him from legal actions and then re-deposited the money into Choksi's account on February 20, 2018.

Producing legal documents and complaints made to the PMO and Finance Ministry regarding Choksi since 2015, Pilot alleged that Finance Ministry, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Prime Minister's Office (PMO) knew well in advance that Choksi may flee the country yet that no action was taken.

"Why were the Finance Minister's daughter and son-in-law paid Rs 24 lakh by Mehul Choksi without doing any work for him? Is this not a clear-cut case of collusion, connivance and the conflict of interest?," asked Pilot.

"Who else are the clients of the Chamber of Jaitley & Associates paying retainership of lakhs of rupees, and why should their name not be public, including the amount received? Why were they not summoned for questioning by CBI and ED?" Pilot asked.

Head of the Congress' Women Cell Sushmita Dev said that there is ample evidence that forms part of FIR against Choksi, which has been received and acknowledged by the PM's Office, before he fled the country.