ACB names 11 in Rs 93-crore dam scam
Former deputy CM Ajit Pawar and former water resources minister Sunil Tatkare not among those charged.
The state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday filed criminal cases against 11 people, including six irrigation department officials, in the Rs 93-crore scam in a dam project that is one of the cases that make up the massive irrigation scam.
The ACB, however, has not named the then deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and then water resources minister Sunil Tatkare as accused. This is in sharp contrast to the PWD scams, in which the ACB had quizzed then PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal and named him as an accused. Pawar and his close associate Tatkare were not even called to the ACB office for interrogation. Asked why the NCP leaders were not named, ACB chief Praveen Dixit said that investigations are still on. Incidentally, the NCP had extended support to the BJP-led government when talks with the Shiv Sena had failed.
“During the inquiry, we found that four companies had bid for the contract, including FA Enterprises, which got the contract. However, one of the other three companies, R N Nayak and sons, was actually floated by FA Enterprises,” said an ACB officer.
ACB sleuths said that the government servants booked in the case connived to facilitate awarding of the contract to FA Enterprises.
Wategaonkar said that the ACB had dug up much more. “The ACB has done a good job,” he told Mirror. “They exposed the fact that the contractor rigged the tender process to secure the contract for himself in connivance with officers of the KIDC. I only hope that many more FIRs will follow, bringing out specific offences by public servants.”
The ACB FIR names as accused Fateh Mohammed Khatri, Nisar Khatri, Jaitun Khatri, Abid Khatri and Jahid Khatri of F A Enterprises, as well as then KIDC officials Girish Babar, Balasaheb Patil, Ramachandra Shinde, Anand Kalukhe, Rajesh Rithe and Vijay Kasat. Most of the officials had their mobile phones switched off. Sources in the irrigation department said that they were busy preparing for anticipatory bail.
Damania said: “Today, I have a huge sense of achievement. The battle which I have been fighting for threeand-half years is finally bearing fruit. This fraud was done in presence of Ajit Pawar. He is mentioned in the FIR, but not as accused. Do you believe that the brains behind scams are only officials? They have to work on directions of ministers, but are made scapegoats. I am waiting for the day when they [the ministers] go behind bars.”
The state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday filed criminal cases against 11 people, including six irrigation department officials, in the Rs 93-crore scam in a dam project that is one of the cases that make up the massive irrigation scam.
The ACB, however, has not named the then deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and then water resources minister Sunil Tatkare as accused. This is in sharp contrast to the PWD scams, in which the ACB had quizzed then PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal and named him as an accused. Pawar and his close associate Tatkare were not even called to the ACB office for interrogation. Asked why the NCP leaders were not named, ACB chief Praveen Dixit said that investigations are still on. Incidentally, the NCP had extended support to the BJP-led government when talks with the Shiv Sena had failed.
In December 2014, the state government had ordered an open probe into the awarding of the contract for the dam on the Balganga river in Raigad district. The probe found irregularities of Rs 92,63,42,110 in the project implemented by the Konkan Irrigation Development Corp (KIDC). Social activist Pravin Wategaonkar and AAP leader Anjali Damania provided a lot of material to the ACB.
“During the inquiry, we found that four companies had bid for the contract, including FA Enterprises, which got the contract. However, one of the other three companies, R N Nayak and sons, was actually floated by FA Enterprises,” said an ACB officer.
ACB sleuths said that the government servants booked in the case connived to facilitate awarding of the contract to FA Enterprises.
Wategaonkar said that the ACB had dug up much more. “The ACB has done a good job,” he told Mirror. “They exposed the fact that the contractor rigged the tender process to secure the contract for himself in connivance with officers of the KIDC. I only hope that many more FIRs will follow, bringing out specific offences by public servants.”
The ACB FIR names as accused Fateh Mohammed Khatri, Nisar Khatri, Jaitun Khatri, Abid Khatri and Jahid Khatri of F A Enterprises, as well as then KIDC officials Girish Babar, Balasaheb Patil, Ramachandra Shinde, Anand Kalukhe, Rajesh Rithe and Vijay Kasat. Most of the officials had their mobile phones switched off. Sources in the irrigation department said that they were busy preparing for anticipatory bail.
Damania said: “Today, I have a huge sense of achievement. The battle which I have been fighting for threeand-half years is finally bearing fruit. This fraud was done in presence of Ajit Pawar. He is mentioned in the FIR, but not as accused. Do you believe that the brains behind scams are only officials? They have to work on directions of ministers, but are made scapegoats. I am waiting for the day when they [the ministers] go behind bars.”
