Our Bureau

New Delhi , July 27

THE issue of resale of the disinvested Mumbai airport Centaur hotel at a premium of Rs 32 crore was raised on Wednesday by an independent panel that included CPI (M) Member of Parliament, Mr Dipankar Mukherjee.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Mukherjee said that the "links" between Batra Hospitality that bought the hotel and resold it at a substantial premium, and former Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee's son-in-law, Mr Ranjan Bhattacharya, should be probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Terming Batra Hospitality as a "shell company" that "did not have the financial strength or experience in running a hotel," Mr Mukherjee said the hotel was sold to it because of its owner's experience in running Delhi's Radisson Hotel through AB Hotels Ltd.

"Are these links coincidental, incidental or accidental? We are not putting anyone in the dock. What we want is that the CBI should investigate and expose the entire scam," Mr Mukherjee said at a press conference in which the CPI (M) General Secretary, Mr Prakash Karat, was also present.

Mr Karat said he was only a "facilitator" for the three-member panel headed by Mr Mukherjee, which looked into the matter. Other members of the panel were Supreme Court lawyer, Mr Prashant Bhushan, and journalist, Mr Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, who were also present at the press conference.

Referring to reports quoting CBI that it was not finding much material to proceed with the probe into the Airport Centaur deal, Mr Karat said, "We are releasing this material in public interest and to help the Government and CBI proceed in this matter."

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