Letter that got Natwar into mess

New Delhi: In deciding to indict K Natwar Singh, Justice R S Pathak held as "one of the most crucial pieces of evidence" a letter written by the senior Congress leader on January 30, 2001 to Iraqi Oil Minister Amer Mohammed Rasheed asking him to give "full assistance and cooperation" to Andaleeb Sehgal, a Delhi-based businessman.

"It demonstrates that Natwar Singh utilised his presence in Iraq not merely for the purpose of representing the Congress party in a goodwill mission but also took the opportunity of lending his assistance in the procurement of the oil allocation to Andaleeb Sehgal, who accompanied him on the visit to the oil minister," the Pathak inquiry authority report tabled in Parliament on Monday, said.

Sehgal had accompanied Singh for the meeting with the Iraqi minister on January 22, 2001.

The January 30, 2001 letter is "one of the most crucial pieces of evidence in this proceeding", it said.

It was noted that Singh's letter was written on an official letter head of the All India Congress Committee showing him as 'member, Congress Working Committee, and beneath that 'chairman, foreign affairs department' and the address given is 24, Akbar Road, New Delhi.

The official phone numbers of the AICC are mentioned on the letterhead itself and at the bottom of the letter head the residence phone numbers along with the fax number are mentioned, it said.

In the letter, Singh wrote that he was sending the letter with Sehgal who was "present when I called on you on January 22, 2001 at your office in Baghdad".

Singh said Sehgal was "well known" to him for "many years" and "so is the company he owns".

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The former External Affairs Minister further said Sehgal "enjoys my full support and confidence, and I would appreciate you giving him your full assistance and cooperation".

Making a special mention in his letter, Singh said the Congress party "greatly values its fraternal links with the Arab Ba'ath Socialist Party" and "I believe that these links have been further intensified during our stay in Baghdad".

Before the inquiry authority, Singh was asked whether he had met the Iraqi Minister to which he had replied in the affirmative but had claimed that no one else was present.

When confronted with the letter, Singh admitted that the signature on it was his but he was not sure about the text. The panel held that the letter was "in fact" written by Singh because not only was the signature his but also the words "with regards" written by hand, the handwriting of which was admitted by Singh to be his.

It said it was possible that Singh's son Jagat was also present at that meeting since in a subsequent letter dated April 26, 2001 again addressed to the Iraqi Minister, the diplomat-turned politician said his son was with him.

"I am sending this letter with my son, K Jagat Singh who is general secretary of the youth wing of the Congress party. He and his cousin and Aleeb Sehgal were with me when I called on you about three months ago. Jagat and his cousin will tell you how much I have appreciated your help and cooperation which I hope will continue," the report said.