New Delhi: CNN-IBN has accessed a DoPT (Department of Personnel and Training) circular, which advised against sensitive postings for Nachiketa Kapur.
The WikiLeaks cable, accessed by 'The Hindu', said, five days before the first United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government of Manmohan Singh faced a crucial vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha on the Indo-US nuclear deal, Congress leader Satish Sharma's aide Nachiketa Kapur showed a US Embassy employee two chests containing cash.
Nachiketa, however, has claimed that he is not aware of the DoPT circular.
Sources close to Nachiketa claim he was a victim of a witch-hunt by then Union minister Renuka Chowdhury.
Nachiketa, after WikiLeaks cable allegedly described him a close aide of Congress leader Satish Sharma and associated him with the cash-for-votes scam, has declined any involvement of him in the scam.
"Revelations in 'The Hindu' are malicious. I was not involved in horse-trading. I am not close to Satish Sharma...I have not worked with Sharma. I have not witnessed any meeting or conversations," said Nachiketa.
The cable also alleged that Nachiketa said that he was part of a bigger fund of Rs 50 to 60 crore that the Congress had assembled to purchase the support of MPs for the nuclear deal.
He also claimed that four MPs belonging to Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal had already been paid Rs 10 crore each, to ensure they voted the right way in the Lok Sabha, the cable further said.
However, Ajit Singh who didn't vote for the UPA during the trust vote has slammed the expose.
In the cable, US Charge d'Affaires Steven White described Satish Sharma as "a close associate of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi considered to be a very close family friend of Sonia Gandhi".
Satish Sharma, while interacting with a US diplomat reportedly told him that he and the others in the party were working hard to ensure the UPA government won the vote of confidence on July 22.
Apparently, Nachiketa mentioned to a US Embassy aide that money was not an issue at all, but the crucial thing was to ensure that the MPs voted the right way.
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