Dangerous Liaisons

In order to wriggle out of the police dragnet, Sharma even tried to make peace with H. Suresh Rao, the Bombay-based owner of the helicopter he had grabbed, who had been at his wit's end to get it back. In a quick volte-face, Sharma not only offered to return the helicopter, but also proposed a Rs 20-lakh booty. But before confronting Sharma for one last time which led to a scuffle—and the arrest—Rao had tipped off the CBI and the police.

When the police arrived on the scene of the row, they bundled Sharma, and also Rao and his friends to the police station. As soon as Sharma sensed that he was in a spot, he tried to strike a deal. He snatched a cellphone from one of Rao's friends to contact either Lalit Bagla or Balu and told Rao that "they would send the money right away". At that moment, a TV crew reached the police station to try and wangle an interview of Sharma. Rao's friend grabbed the opportunity to snatch his cellphone back before the cops pushed Sharma into the "hawalaat" to avoid the media.

As the investigation into la affaire Sharma gets murkier and murkier, one intriguing question remains unanswered: who provided Sharma with money in Delhi whenever he needed it? Ballu, Sharma's henchman, also in custody, has told investigating agencies that "cash used to come in sacks and then it would go in suitcases from Sharma's house to different people, including politicians". Despite a case registered by the Delhi Police under the Official Secrets Act against Balu, and despite a detailed "quizzing" of Lalit Bagla, both deny having anything to do with Sharma.

The case against Balu under the Official Secrets Act was registered after a raid at his house yielded a bunch of incriminating secret official documents pertaining to government decisions on petroleum, power etc. The police is tight-lipped about the nature of the documents but admit that the papers indicate that probably no information, however confidential, was out of Balu's reach. The FIR, filed by the crime branch of the Delhi Police, has been put in a sealed envelop.

Soon after Balu's name was linked to Sharma, business tycoon Dhirubhai Ambani's Reliance India Limited (RIL) dissociated itself from the affair. In a brief press release, company officials stated that they had nothing to do with Sharma or his deals. But surprisingly, the company didn't seek any explanation from Balu as to why his name was being dragged into the case.

 Balu told Outlook: "Some people are trying to finish Reliance, that is why they want to frame me. At this point I would not like to say anything but my company has not called for any explanation from me." Nor has the police. In fact, the police seem to be reluctant to arrest Balu. Says a senior police officer: "Once you arrest the person then you have to file a chargesheet within a certain period, therefore arrest sometimes does not help."

Balu, Dhirubhai Ambani's right hand man, knew almost everybody "who matters" in political and bureaucratic circles. On behalf of Reliance, he even accepted an award on December 14, 1996 from then prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda. Business sources say he knew so much about the inside happenings of Reliance that the company couldn't afford to sack him. Admits an investigator: "Balu and Sharma are two sides of the same coin. Balu was aware about everything that Romesh did."

Investigating agencies have stumbled upon even more information revealing Balu's links with Sharma. After talking to Balu, the police interrogated one Pooja, who is a Reliance executive and resides on the second floor at 12/19 Sarvapriya Vihar. The property was developed by Sharma and was given to one Ms Gidwani in lieu of C-28, Mayfair Garden where Sharma lives. Pooja told the investigators that "Balasubrahmaniam got me the house".

INTERESTINGLY, the police claims that in the 'barsati' of the Sarvapriya Vihar house, two sisters from Bijnor live who, according to Balu, are "friends" of Sharma. In fact, the sisters were planning to shift out after Sharma was arrested but the police got wind of it and managed to question them. Says a senior officer associated with the probe: "These two sisters were being exploited by Romesh Sharma."

 According to sources, Lalit Bagla was not only "known" to Sharma, he was "deeply involved" with him. Bagla's name figures among those few who accompanied Sharma to Dubai to attend Dawood Ibrahim's much-talked-about lavish bashes. Top-level sources say others on the trip to Dubai with Sharma included Gopi Kothari and Om Parasram Puria, both businessmen.

By his own admission, Bagla is a pure vegetarian and also suffers from diabetes and other ailments. So, Dawood flew in a special cook to Dubai to prepare vegetarian dishes when he hosted a dinner for Bagla. Agencies have also gathered information that Dawood even offered Bagla one of his swanky cars which was parked outside his house when Bagla lavished praise on it, an offer he refused. Bagla also finances cars and insiders claim that Sharma used to help him in this trade.

Sources say Bagla's last trip to Dubai was around six years ago, in 1992. And surprisingly, Romesh Sharma's passport of that period has vanished, say police sources.

That Bagla's name, among others, figures in the list of Sharma's supporters is evident by the fact that the police have already questioned him once after Sharma's arrest. Admitting as much to Outlook, Bagla said: "Yes, the police have questioned me. In the last six years I have not gone to Dubai, let alone meeting Dawood. They have checked my passport. As far as my business of cars is concerned anyone, including pimps, can come to me to buy cars. So, Romesh Sharma had also bought cars from me." Sharma 'gifted' at least one Toyota car, 'bought' from Bagla, to his friend Ms Kunjum, a designer.

Photographs available with Outlook show how Sharma used his political contacts to push his deals through. One such road even leads to Narasimha Rao-crony, 'godman' Chandraswami, currently lying low. In the photograph, accompanying this article, Sharma is seen in front of North Block (home ministry) with Vipin Diwan, a supporter of Dawood Ibrahim and a big-time builder of Mumbai. Vipin Diwan and his brother Anil's name first came to light in 1995 when underworld don Babloo Srivastava told Jansatta that Chandraswami had links with Dawood.

In fact, Babloo Srivastava revealed that Vipin and Anil Diwan took Chandraswami to Dubai and introduced him to Dawood. Later, Virendra Pant, another member of the Babloo gang, confirmed the story. However, Chandraswami has denied the charge. The Diwans, now based in Dubai, are on the CBI watch-list, but officials say that no action can be taken against them as no case has been registered.

Meanwhile, home ministry sources say the CBI has been granted permission to probe the "probable nexus" between Sharma and the powers-that-be, including businessmen, bureaucrats and politicians. The CBI has already drawn up a list of people said to be close to Sharma.

The list of Sharma's supporters and acquaintances reads like a veritable who's who. It includes at least two former ministers of state for home, a couple of IAS and IPS officers, journalists, several top and middle-rung businessmen and a score of fixers, wheeler-dealers and hawala operators. Surprisingly, no names of BJP leaders figure in the list. Admits a top official connected with the probe: "Whatever we have got so far and whatever has appeared in the media about Romesh Sharma is still a tip of the iceberg."

But there is also considerable apprehension in the investigating agencies about the nature of the evidence against Sharma. Certain officers feel the evidence would not be enough to convict Sharma in a court of law.

On the political front, the mud-slinging match over Sharma continues—primarily between the BJP and the Congress. Leaders of both parties have accused each other of either having hobnobbed with Sharma at some time or having used him as an excuse to whip the rival.