Former Home Secretary who took on Sushil Kumar Shinde loses personal staff

New Delhi: In what looks like retaliatory action, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) today withdrew personal staff of former Home Secretary RK Singh.

Around 10 para-military personnel were posted as helpers when Singh was home secretary and the services continued even after his retirement.

Today, however, the helpers were withdrawn and while officially it was said that an officer is not entitled to such staff post retirement, many see it as retaliatory action for the allegations that Singh levelled against Shinde earlier this week.

Singh, who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, accused the Union Home Minister of "lying" and shielding a businessman close to India's most wanted Dawood Ibrahim.

"Shinde prevented Delhi Police from interrogating a businessman in the IPL match fixing case. Agencies suspect this businessman has links with underworld don Dawood. There is even no assurance from FBI on Dawood, I was present at that conference with Shinde, he is lying," he said.

He also alleged that Shinde regularly interfered in Delhi Police's work. "The staff at Shinde's residence would regularly send chits with names of people who should be posted as SHOs and I heard this was done in lieu of money," he claimed.

Singh's statement came after Shinde said that the Indian government along with US intelligence agency FBI was working towards bringing India's most wanted fugitive Dawood Ibrahim to India.