Thursday, July 28 2005 13:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's foster son-in-law Ranjan Bhattacharya today (July 28, 2005) welcomed a probe into allegations of his involvement in Centaur Hotel sale saying he would cooperate fully to clear his name.

Speaking through his lawyers, Karanjawala & Co, he denied Communist P arty of India (CPI) Marxist (M) MP Dipankar Mukherjee's allegation of his involvement in the sale of Centaur Hotel to Batra Hospitality during the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime.

"At the outset, my client categorically denies having any business relationship whatsoever with A L Batra (of Batra Hospitality), and also in any way having anything at all to do with the disinvestment process of Centaur Hotel or otherwise," Karanjawaya & Co said in a statement sent to sources.

The statement said Ranjan Bhattacharya, a hotelier by profession, "Began his business relationship with Carlson Hospitality Worldwide well prior to the NDA government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee came into power in April 1999."

Ranjan's companies have two joint ventures with Carlson Hotels Worldwide.

"The Carlson Group has a gross turnover of over 32 billion dollars and has over 1,000 hotels in its portfolio worldwide, and one such hotel happens to be the Delhi Radisson owned by AB Hotels in which A L Batra has a substantial interest. My client has never had any interest in Radisson Hotel, Delhi or ever occupied any office space."

"The common director namely K B Kachru who is on the Board of AB Hotels and on the board of the two joint ventures belonging to my clients, is there by virtue of being a Carlson nominee," the statement from lawyers said.

"My client welcomes a probe by any governmental agency and will fully co-operate in order to clear his name," it said.

A three-memer panel, comprising CPM MP Dipankar Mukherjee, Supreme Court Lawyer Prashant Bhushan and journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta had alleged that the former Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie was shielding and protecting Bhattacharya.

Mukherjee demanded 'links' between Bhattacharya and Batra Hospitality, which bought the hotel and resold it at a premium of Rs 32 crore.

Taking strong exception to use of the phrase 'no ordinary deal broker' by the Left leaders, the statement by lawyer said "My client ends this statement by categorically asserting that he has never on February 18, 2002 as alleged, or on any other day spoken to anyone in HCI (Hotel Corp of India), either from one Sanjeev Tyagi's phone, or otherwise."