From: gnreddy@cbnewsf.att.com (G.Narotham Reddy)
Subject: India - Harshad Mehta makes startling revelations 
Organization: AT&T
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 92 00:24:02 GMT


Source  : The CGI
Date    : Nov 12, 1992
Country : India

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* Harshad Mehta makes startling revelations 

Bombay - Nov 12: Making startling revelations 'big bull' Harshad Mehta on 
Thursday admitted before the Joint Parliamentary Committee probing the 
multi-million securities scam in India that he contacted three Union Ministers 
and a former Prime Minister. The Bombay broker said here that while he met 
Dr.Balram Jakhar and Ghulam Nabi Azad at a party in Bangalore hosted by
industrialist S.N.Chaturvedi he contacted Minister of State for
Finance Rameshwar Thakur soon after income tax raids on his premises.
Harshad Mehta said he had also been introduced to former Premier V.P.Singh
at the 10th anniversary function of 'Weekly Current' in Bombay by Abu
Syed. Briefing newsmen the JPC Chairman Ramnivas Mirdha quoted the Bombay
broker as saying that foregin banks governed by RBI and at will armed
twisted them.
	'Banks were after brokers to earn more money and not vice
versa and blatantly violated RBI guidelines,' he charged. Mehta said he
also held separate meetings with Finance Secretary K.P.Geetha Krishnan,
RBI Governor S.Venkitaramanan and former Planning Commission member
V.Krishna Murthy. When some JPC members drew the broker's attention to
a remark he had made in an interview that he would name the politicians 
allegedly involved in the scam "at an appropriate time", Mehta denied he 
had made such a statement.

	Referring to his meeting with Thakur he said the minister had
told him to make a representation to the central board of direct
taxes. He did not give any further details of the meeting, Mirdha
said. On being questioned Mehta said he did not recollect the dates
when he met Jakhar, Azad and V.P.Singh, Mirdha said. 
	Hearshad Meta who was grilled for over seven hours evaded waiting 
newsmen at the Parliament house annex when he was being escorted outside 
through a kitchen door.
	Harshad Mehta also contended that he had been singled out by the 
government "as if he is the main principle operator," in the scam. He was 
of the view that the scam had taken place because of undue restrictions put 
on banks.
	The Bombay broker asserted that he had enough assets to meet
all his liabilities. His alleged liability according to the CBI FIR
stood at Rs 1,494.06 Crore, while his assets position was Rs. 1,515
Crores.

* Prince Akishino of Japan arrives in Bombay

New Delhi - Nov 12: Prince Akishino of Japan arrived here on Thursday 
on a nine day goodwill mission to India. The prince accompanied by princess 
Kiko Akishino are here at the invitation of the Vice President K.R.Narayanan. 
The prince is visiting India after a gap of 32 years of any visit by a member 
of the Japanese royal family. Cultural and environment are the special areas 
of interest of the Japanese prince. The prince is scheduled to visit
Agra, Jaipur Bombay and Aurangabad before leaving for Tokyo.


* Two killed in bomb blast incidents in central Delhi

Two persons were killed in two separate bomb blasts in the Indian
capital on Friday. In the first incident a 50 year old women sweeper died on
the spot when a bomb exploded in a fire that she lit to ward off the
morning chill in front of the Delight cinema hall in central Delhi.
The victim, Sanno Devi apparently picked up the crude bomb along with
some waste material.
	In the other incident one person was killed in a bomb blast in
G.B Road also in central Delhi.

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