While defending his ministers against allegations of corruption allegations by the Opposition, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis appears to have overlooked a nine-month-old complaint against his close aide and Minister of State for Home, Ranjit Patil, who is accused of having assets that are 486 per cent, or nearly five times more than his known sources of income permit.
The state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), where the complaint was lodged, is headed by Mr. Patil. Sources in the ACB said the investigation so far has been inconclusive. Apart from being the MoS (Home), Mr. Patil also holds the Urban Development, Law & Judiciary and Parliamentary Affairs portfolios.
The minister is also accused of not declaring seven immovable properties in his 2010 election affidavit, which he allegedly acquired during his tenure as a government medical officer.
Mr. Patil was elected to the Legislative Council from the Amaravati local body seat as a BJP candidate. He worked as a Government Medical Officer and Government Orthopedic Surgeon at the state-run hospital in Akola, his hometown, from April 4, 1991 to February 20, 2004.
According to the complaint filed on October 31, 2015 by Vikrant Kate, a social activist from Akola, the assets acquired by Mr. Patil during this period total close to Rs. 58.37 lakh, or 486 per cent of his known sources of income at the time.
Seven properties, records of which the complainant has submitted to the ACB include land measuring 1.62 hectare at Mungshi, tehsil Murtizapur, Gat No.34 (date of agreement: May 31, 1997); 1.24 hectare at Kapshi Road, Tehsil Akola, Gat No. 214 (date of agreement: June 11, 2000); 2.02 hectare at Mouje Akola, Tehsil Akola, Gat No. 79/4 (date of agreement: August 25, 2003); 5,355 sq. ft. at Mouje Umarkhed, Tehsil Akola, Plot No.1/179 (date of agreement: May 29, 1998); 801.57 sq. m. at Mouje Malkapur, Tehsil Akola, Gat No. 8/1/E/1 and 8/1/E/2 (date of agreement: May 29, 1998); 2,540 sq. ft. at Mouje Akola, Tehsil Akola, Plot Nos.4/4 & 4/3 (date of agreement: March 9, 2000); 6,250 sq. ft. at Mouje Malkapur, Tehsil Akola, Survey No 28/1 and Plot No. 11 (date of agreement: July 4, 1997).
Mr. Patil had come under the ACB scanner in March last year, but the government had subsequently said he has been exonerated of all charges. Advocate Pratap Nimbalkar, Mr. Kate’s lawyer, said, “Interestingly, there has been no official announcement from the ACB regarding any clean chit given to the minister. It has been nine months since we lodged the complaint, but the probe appears to have come to a standstill. They have neither discarded our complaint nor proceeded with filing an FIR.”
In the past, Mr. Patil was accused of changing his name to Annasaheb Vitthalrao Pavitrakar to purchase land in the name of his son, Sharva. Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant had alleged that multiple voter identity cards had been issued in the names of the minister’s family members.
DG (ACB) Satish Mathur said, “We are looking into Mr. Kate’s complaint and will respond to him by Wednesday.” Despite repeated attempts, Mr. Patil. was unavailable for comment.
