Chatwal (Chhatwal) among Padma Bhushan Awardees: Vet. Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

S. Sant Singh Chatwal (Chhatwal) honoured with

Padma Bhushan Award

S. Sant Singh Chatwal (Chhatwal) is an Ex-Naval Trainee

Pilot and a distant relative of Vet. Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal.

Clean chit to Chatwal : Tribune News Service.

New Delhi, January 27Just a day after a controversy

erupted over conferring the Padma Bhushan award

on New Yorkbased NRI Sant Singh Chatwal, the

government today came out in strong defence and

clarified that he had been discharged by a court in

Mumbai and there was nothing adverse on record

against him.The government specified the role of

Chatwal in the Indo-US nuclear deal saying he was

actively involved in securing support for the nuclear

deal among the members of the Congress of the United

States. It also referred to him as “tireless advocate”

of India’sinterests in the US.Referring to the allegations

of financial irregularities against him, the government

clarified that between 1992 and 1994, the CBI had

registered five cases against him and some bank officials

for conniving with the intention of defrauding the Bank

of Barodaand Bank of India. Three of these cases were

closedby the CBI itself while in the remaining two cases,

the Court discharged Chatwal.The “Padma Awards” are

conferred only afterconsideration in terms of the guidelines

regulatingthe award and after observance of established

andelaborate procedures. A ‘due diligence’ exercise

isundertaken in respect of each awardee in consultationwith

appropriate agencies before announcement of the award,

Onkar Kedia, the ministry spokesperson said. No award

is conferred except on the recommendation of the

Awards Committee, constituted for the purpose and

after the ‘due diligence’ has been done, he added.

Chatwal was among the 43 people chosen by the

government for the prestigious Padma Bhushan onthe

eve of the Republic Day earlier this week. The decision

sparked off a controversy with the BJP objecting to the

move because of the CBI cases against him.The

Ministry said Chatwal was a Trustee of the William J

Clinton Foundation, which focuses on issues such as

health care, climate change and economic

empowerment of the underprivileged in the world

community. He made frequent trips to Indiato provide

relief to victims of tsunami and AIDS. He is also a

prominent leader of the Indian-Americancommunity,

it said.

Veteran Prbahjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Mob:098554-09128 Telefax:0175-5000896.