Vayalar Ravi stands by Chatwal move

“Chatwal is a successful businessman in the United States who has close connections with the political leaders in that country. He has been helpful to our country in the past. Thus,as the minister handling NRI affairs,I thought I should recommend his name.”

According to Ravi,though Chatwal’s name found frequent mention in the Indian media,there were not many negative reports till the award controversy broke out. “It is my understanding that he was not convicted by any court either in India or abroad,nor are there any cases pending against him,” Ravi said,adding that the charges Chatwal faced were commercial and not criminal in nature.

The minister also pointed out that even after the proposal of his name for a Padma award was made,it had gone through a series of checks by various departments and many government agencies before it was picked.

Of all the awardees announced this year,Chatwal’s name has garnered the maximum attention,though not for reasons he would like. There have been reports detailing the cases he faced,including a CBI probe over an alleged bank fraud. The Indian Express reported that even the President had questioned his inclusion in the Padma list,and that some businessmen had accused Chatwal of illegal confinement and harassment over payments relating to his Dream Hotel project in Kochi.

Ravi is recuperating at a private hospital in Chennai after he was airlifted from a hospital in Africa. The minister’s car had been hit by a speeding vehicle in Liberia on February 4,injuring him and Indian Ambassador Shamma Jain.