K. D. Singh (politician)

Dr Kanwar Deep Singh
MP of Rajya Sabha for West Bengal
Assumed office
3 April 2014
Personal details
Born Kanwardeep Singh
(1961-08-21) 21 August 1961
Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab
Political party All India Trinamool Congress
Spouse(s) Harpreet Kaur
Religion Sikhism
Website K D Singh,KDSinghBlog

Dr Kanwar Deep Singh (born 21 August 1961), also known as K. D. Singh, is an Indian businessman turned politician and Member of Parliament (MP), Rajya Sabha. He is also the president of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and the Hockey Association of Haryana.[1] Singh's political and business career has been marred by various controversies.

Early life and business

Singh was born on 21 August 1961. He started his business in 1988 under the banner of Turbo Industries. His first factory in Chandigarh produced wire mesh and link fencing. The name was changed to Alchemist in 2004.[2] The Alchemist Group has a presence in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, food-processing, real estate, infrastructure and tea estates, possessing well-known retail brands like Republic of Chicken.[3] He stepped down from his position as Chairman of the Alchemist Group in 2012 to devote his time to political and social causes.[3] Currently, he is the Chairman Emeritus of the Alchemist Group, while his son Karan Deep Singh now chairs the Group.[4] K.D. Singh owns majority stake in Anant Media Private Limited, which publishes Tehelka magazine, one of India’s leading investigative weeklies.[5][6] In March 2013, Tehelka reported that Punjabis in the northern state of Haryana want Singh as their chief minister. [7]

He was conferred a Doctorate in Business Administration (Honoris Causa) by the Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge (U.K.).[8]

Political career

In 2010, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) nominated him to the Rajya Sabha. Only few months later, he became a member of the All India Trinamool Congress and was made the party in-charge of northern India (Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Chandigarh).[9][10]

Cash-for-votes scam in the Jharkhand biennial Rajya Sabha elections in June 2010

Singh is alleged to have paid his way into the upper house of Parliament. An IBN-Cobrapost investigation found that MLAs from various political parties in Jharkhand take money to vote for a particular candidate during elections. The investigation relates to the election of Kanwar Deep Singh to the Rajya Sabha on a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha ticket. In November 2010, K.D. Singh left the JMM to join the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) in West Bengal.[11] Tek Lal Mahto is a MLA belonging to JMM said, “KD Singh has been spending only in one direction”- when the reporter says Singh is likely to win as he has been spending so much money.[12] Six legislators were caught on camera apparently negotiating for money to sell their votes. The sting operation showed the MLAs purportedly demanding Rs 50 lakh to Rs 2 crore. [13]

Controversies

In February 2009, Income Tax (I-T) raided at 11 premises of the Alchemist Group across India. Singh had to surrender an unaccounted income of Rs.22 crores.[2][14] KD Singh was intercepted on March 2011 at IGI Airport, Delhi, by airport security for carrying a "large sum of cash" on a flight to poll-bound Assam. Taking a "serious note" of it, the Election Commission of India sent a notice to TMC.[15]

In 2011, the Intelligence Wing of the Union Home Ministry, on details provided by the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE), investigated the investments made by Singh's Alchemist Limited in companies such as Usher Agro, Sel Manufacturing, Dhanus Tech, Pyramid Saimira and Resurgere Mines. The charge was that Alchemist may have artificially rigged the share prices of these companies to make quick profits. The investigators were also probing two Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) which acquired a stake in Alchemist Realty Limited, one of the group's 16 companies.[2]

In July 2013, the Securities Appellate Tribunal gave 18 months' time to Alchemist Infra Realty Ltd for complying with Sebi orders that had asked the company to refund an estimated Rs 1,000 crore collected from public through unauthorised 'collective investment schemes' (CIS). The company had collected about Rs 1,000 crore from about 1.5 million investors.[16]

Indian Hockey Federation

On 29 July 2013,the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) issued a media release announcing Dr. Singh's elevation from his post of Vice President to that of President.[17] Singh's Alchemist group was the sponsor of the Federation Cup hockey tournament organised by the IHF in 2013.[18]

Positions Held

References

  1. ↑ "Indian Hockey Federation name Trinamool MP K D Singh as new president". NDTV Sports. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "WB polls: Mamata's aide Singh in trouble for quick profits : NATION". India Today. 2011-04-20. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  3. 1 2 "KD Singh quits corporate posts for full-time politics". Hindustan Times. 8 September 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  4. ↑ "Chairman Emeritus - Alchemist". Alchemist. Alchemist. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  5. ↑ http://latitude.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/in-india-business-politics-and-media-collude-against-small-investors/?_r=0
  6. ↑ "Name of the game". Business Standard. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  7. ↑ Tehelka Bureau (2013-03-22). "Punjabi community in Haryana wants KD Singh as Chief Minister". Tehelka. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  8. ↑ "Kanwar Deep Singh Honorary Doctor of Business Administration, 2012". Anglia Ruskin University. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  9. ↑ "Trinamool gets new address in Chandigarh". Indian Express. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  10. ↑ "Elected Representative - AITMC". AITMC Website.
  11. ↑ "Cash-for-votes: CBI raids in Jharkhand". The Hindu. 2013-05-25. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  12. ↑ "JMM MLA's rate for Rajya Sabha vote: Rs 1 cr". Ibnlive.in.com. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  13. ↑ "CBI scanner on KD Singh". Telegraph India. 2012-11-01. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  14. ↑ "I-T raids Alchemist Group of Hospitals, declares Rs 22 crore as 'unaccounted'". Indian Express. 2009-02-27. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  15. ↑ "Election Commission sends notice to Trinamool Congress on cash-ferrying MP". Economic Times. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  16. ↑ "Securities Appellate Tribunal gives 18 months to Alchemist Infra to refund money". Indian Express. 2013-07-23. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  17. 1 2 "Dr. Kanwar Deep Singh takes over as President, Indian Hockey Federation". Indian Hockey Federation.
  18. ↑ Press Trust of India (2013-07-29). "Indian Hockey Federation name Trinamool MP K D Singh as new president | Other Sports - Hockey | NDTVSports.com". Sports.ndtv.com. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
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