Forgery case registered at Tytler's behest: Abhishek Verma

NEW DELHI: Businessman Abhishek Verma on Thursday told a trial court that he was falsely implicated by CBI in a forgery case at the behest of Congress leader Jagdish Tytler against whom he had deposed in a corruption case.
Verma, who along with his Romanian wife Anca Maria Neascu, was arrested on Wednesday afresh by CBI in a forgery case lodged on sports minister Ajay Maken's complaint, told special judge Sanjeev Jain that it was a "politically motivated" case.
"This is a political rivalry and this is being done at the behest of Jagdish Tytler as I had deposed against him in another (graft) case. There was a deal between me and CBI as per which it had said that if I give evidence and depose against Tytler, the agency will not oppose my wife Anca's bail in that case. I gave evidence against Tytler but CBI backtracked," Verma argued while opposing the extension of his judicial custody.
The court, however, remanded Verma and Neascu to seven days judicial custody till August 16 saying the matter is at an initial stage and the probe is on.
"From the material on record, it appears accused Abhishek Verma had sent the copy of the letter, purportedly written by Ajay Maken to the Prime Minister, to Edmond C Allen (his former associate in the US) through this email ID. In the said email, he also wrote that the matter of extension of visa of employees of ZTE Telecom Indian Pvt Ltd has been taken up with the officials of government of India," the court said.
It added Verma, by his alleged "misrepresentation", had given an impression to "influence" public servants in India for "financial" gains.
The court had on Wednesday granted bail to the couple after CBI failed to file the charge sheet in stipulated 60 days' period after their arrest on June 8 in the corruption case for allegedly receiving money from a Swiss firm to stall its blacklisting proceedings by Indian government. However, after the registration of the forgery case, they were sent back to Tihar Jail.