The Maharashtra Anti Corruption Bureau on Thursday registered a case for amassing disproportionate assets against a former Chief Engineer with the Konkan Irrigation Development Corporation, who was earlier booked in the irrigation scam that allegedly caused a loss of over Rs. 92 crore to the State government.
According to ACB officers, the accused has been identified as Balasaheb Patil. He was among the six former KIDC officials booked by the ACB in August 2015 in connection with the alleged misappropriation in awarding the contract for construction of a dam over the Balganga river in Raigad in 2009.
An ACB office said: “After we booked Patil and his former colleagues, we conducted searches at their residences as per procedure. In Patil’s house, we found evidence of disproportionate assets”
The ACB found that Patil’s assets were worth Rs. 1.51 crore, which shows a difference of 35.91 per cent between his assets and his income. The Solapur unit of the ACB on Thursday registered a case against Patil, his wife Shubhalaxmi, and his sons Utkarsh and Harshpratik under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Deputy Superintendent of Police U.B. Afale, ACB, said, “Patil has properties in Pune, Sangli and Kolhapur, and our teams are currently conducting searches at all these properties.”
The ACB had in December 2014 initiated an open inquiry into the awarding of the project for construction of the Balganga dam to FA Enterprises. During the probe, it was found that several norms, which rendered FA Enterprises ineligible for the contract, were ignored, and false entries were made to show that the company had all clearances for them to bid for the project. FA Enterprises, too, was found to have bid through a dummy company, in which forged paperwork was submitted.
The ACB subsequently booked five directors of FA Enterprises, and six former officials of the KIDC, including Patil.
The ACB found a difference of 35.9% between the assets and the income of the accused
