New Delhi : Arif Mohammad Khan received the largest chunk of bribery delivered via the infamous Jain Havala racket – a scam that quaked high echelons in politics of the 1990s. The revelation on Arif Mohammed Khan finds mention in the book “Bad Money Bad Politics” authored by veteran journalist Sanjay Kapoor. The book quotes revelations the prime accused Surender Jain made to CBI involving 55 political parties comprising 115 political bigwigs who were paid a total of Rs 65 cores in havala(black money).
The investigations into the scandal involved prominent politicians and was subsequently sabotaged with high-level intervention. The court let off everybody ruling that that the crucial diaries and records that CBI seized during raids were not sufficient proof to implicate the politicians.
As per the CBI chargesheet : between the May of 1988 and April 1991, Arif Khan, was paid Rs 7.63 crores of havala money . He was the Union minister for Power and Civil Aviation at the time. The bribe was bestowed for awarding contract for a power project named Kawas to a French company - Aeisthom. The kickback from Aeisthom - in havala form - was paid to Arif Khan using Jain brothers as conduit.
The contract with Aiesthom was signed in January of 1990. Rs 6.54 in bribe was paid in 4 installments between May and end of August in that year. Another 1 crore was paid over several installments, says the chargesheet. CBI stated that Khan bought several vehicles including truck using these monies and how he also had a locker in Delhi that went by the name of Syed.
Jain told CBI that Arif Mohammed Khan was a close friend of his and that all moneys were delivered personally at Khan’s residence on Sunehri Baug in Delhi. In the crucial diary of records that CBI seized, Arif Khan was referred to as AM/AMK.
Backdrop ; Following arrest of a Kashmiri militant in 1991, raids were conducted on havala brokers, unearthing evidence of massive payments made to national politicians, The militant revealed how his terror organisation was funded by havala piped by Jain brothers. The information led to CBI raid at premises of Jain brothers. There they seized Indian and foreign currency, two diaries and two note books that detailed accounts of vast remittances paid to high ranking politicians as well, identified only by their initials.
