Buta Singh has refused to step down as chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes despite the corruption row.

He alleged that the charges were a 'conspiracy' against him and his family. He said he would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to apprise him of the 'facts'.

'I am a chairman of a constitutional forum, why would I resign? I do not know what transpired between him (other accused in the case) and my son. Under pressure (my son) would have made it (the confession),' Buta Singh said.

'The commission will go to higher courts with the complaint that the commission's functioning is being intervened... The CBI has acted on the complaint of an accused but not the commission,' he added.

About the pistols found in Sweety Singh's house, Buta Singh said: 'The licences are there and only he (Sweety) knows where they are.'

Along with Sweety Singh, three men -- Anoop Bedi, Dukhsingh Chauhan and Madan Solanki -- were produced before Sessions Judge S.P.H. Nagarkar in Mumbai Friday and remanded to police custody.

According to the CBI, the corruption case against Sweety Singh follows a complaint from contractor Patil.

Patil alleged that Sweety Singh demanded a bribe of Rs.30 million for the withdrawal of a case filed against Patil by a group of conservancy workers employed by him (Patil).

Patil is a garbage collection contractor with the Nashik Municipal Corporation. Some 100 workers complained he was not paying their wages and had taken a bank loan of Rs.100 million (Rs.10 crore) in their name.