Flex Industries chief Ashok Chaturvedi, arrested in ‘bribery’ scandal, tells CBI he paid for parties thrown by Prabhat Kumar at his official residence

Flex Industries chairman and managing director Ashok Chaturvedi who was arrested trying to bribe Chief Excise Commissioner Someshwar Mishra is said to have told the CBI that he paid for parties hosted at the official residence of former Cabinet Secretary Prabhat Kumar. Kumar is now the Jharkhand Governor. Sources in the CBI told The Indian Express that in his interrogation statement, which runs into over 200 pages, Chaturvedi has said that he paid for three parties held at Kumar’s 32 Prithviraj Road residence.

  • The first cheque of Rs 44,405 was paid for by Chaturvedi’s Flex Industries account to Kwality Caterers of Hanuman Road who arranged the party on March 5, 1999 when Kumar was Cabinet Secretary.
  • For another party at his residence, on February 27, 2000, the bill was for Rs 79,218. Flex Industries picked up the tab.

  • A third party was held on July 10, 2000. The bill for this ‘‘high tea’’ was Rs 10,368. Once again, Flex Industries paid from its account.

  • Chaturvedi also held a party in honour of Kumar on June 14 this year—Kumar was then Governor of Jharkhand—at the Taj Mansingh hotel. He picked up the tab of Rs 37,219.
    • The Indian Express sent a detailed fax to the Ranchi Raj Bhavan listing Chaturvedi’s allegations and asking Kumar for his comment. Confirming the receipt of the fax, Kumar declined to comment.

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    Sunil Lamba, managing director of Kwality Caterers, said that at his ‘‘level,’’ he could not be expected to keep the accounts of parties held in the year 1999 and 2000. ‘‘You better get in touch with my managers who are involved in the catering. But they are all out of town and you wait for 3-4 days,’’ said Lamba. When asked if he knew Chaturvedi, he said: ‘‘You wait for a few days.’’

    The CBI were able to zero in on Chaturvedi and Mishra right when money exchanged hands a day after they received a tape of a phone conversation between the two. First reported in The Indian Express, this three-minute audiotape, which is key to the CBI’s evidence, shows how both fixed their ‘‘bribe’’ deal. The conversation also indicated that on earlier occasions as well, money transfers had taken place.
    According to the tape, Mishra tells Chaturvedi: ‘‘Aisa hai na, ki aadha mere office mein aur aadha ghar par chahiye. (Half at my office, half at home). Chaturvedi agrees: To aisa kar doonga. (Will do).