NEW DELHI, FEB 14: Ganga Ram Koli, BJP MP from Rajasthan, today denied any links with notorious gangster Rajan Tewari, who was arrested from his Ferozeshah road residence on Friday. While the MP said Tewari was not arrested from his house but from the lawns outside, the police stood by their version and confirmed that the gangster was staying at Koli's house.Koli said his house was locked when he was away in Chennai. ``Tewari was not arrested from my house, in fact the police did not even raid my house. He was sitting in the lawns and playing cards at that time,'' said KoliThe MP added: ``This lawn is shared by three flats, including mine and is accessible to anybody and everybody. I can't be linked with whosoever comes and sits there in my absence. I do not know this man and have never met him.''DCP (Crime) Karnal Singh, on the other hand, reiterated that Tewari was living in Koli's house. ``The MP is right when he says that Tewari was arrested from the garden. But Tewari himself and others in thelocality have confirmed that he was living in the MP's house.''
Singh added that the room, in which Tewari was supposed to have been staying, was raided the day he was arrested. He, however, said so far no has been established between Tewari and Koli.
Koli, who returned from Chennai this morning, said the police was unnecessarily dragging his name into the matter. ``No one stays in the house apart from me. I do not even have a servant staying here and I don't know any man called Pratap Malik,'' he claimed.
According to the police, Pratap Malik is a common friend of Tewari and Rajya a Sabha MP D.P. Yadav's son, Prakash Yadav. While Tewari was arrested from Koli's residence, his arms and ammunition were recovered from a house in R.K. Puram. Prakash Yadav reportedly owns this house.
Koli said he had spoken to BJP president Kushabhau Thakre on the issue and has requested him to ask some BJP members to look into the matter. ``I have sent a letter to Home Minister L.K. Advani. I also spoke to the localpolice officials and have asked them to take my testimony. If the police do not clear my name, I shall take them to court,'' he said.
Loktantrik Bahujan Samaj Party (LBSP) D.P. Yadav, who the Delhi police claim had given a contract of Rs 15 lakh to Tewari for killing UP's famous anti-mafia crusader inspector Pritam Singh last year, today said he is being victimised by his political opponents.
DCP Karnal Singh said when the police questioned Tewari, he revealed that D.P. Yadav, ex-MP from Bihar, Pappu Yadav and sitting Samajwadi Party MLA from UP Rajpal Tyagi had given the contract to him and his three associates.D.P. Yadav told Express Newsline today: ``This is a political conspiracy. My political rivals and some officials want to destroy my image.''
He added: ``There is no question of my involvement in Pritam Singh's murder. Rajan Tewari is an associate of Sri Prakash Shukla (he was killed in an encounter with the UP police in 1998). And Shukla's gang had killed my elder brother Ram Singh.''
The LBSPMP says he will meet Home Minister L.K. Advani and request him to set up a high-level inquiry by a Supreme Court judge.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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