The Bombay High Court on Wednesday told the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) that there was enough material in its inquiry reports to register an FIR into a series of graft allegations, which involve former Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal and his kin.
The ACB submitted its second interim report to the court on its inquiry into the allegations made by Aam Aadmi Party leader Anjali Damania in a public interest litigation petition.
ACB seeks more time to tie up loose ends
Aam Aadmi Party leader Anjali Damania in her public interest litigation petition has alleged that the family members of former Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal received kickbacks after the award of contracts, including for the construction of the new Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi, and sums of money were credited to the account of Bhujbal Charitable Trust.
“The material placed before us is sufficient to file an FIR,” a Division Bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice G.S. Kulkarni told the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) after perusing the agency’s second confidential report, which probed, among other charges, the money routed to the various accounts of Mr. Bhujbal’s family members by contractors hired by the PWD.
Justice Shah told the ACB that the court “never said you cannot register an FIR.” and directed it to go ahead if there was a prime facie case.
ACB’s lawyer Ashutosh Kumbakoni sought six weeks to submit its final inquiry report in respect of two of nine allegations. “We want to tie up a few loose ends before we file an FIR. We want one and a half months’ time to make a concrete case,” he said.
Granting the ACB’s request, the court directed it to file a final report on June 15.
The Enforcement Directorate, which is probing the money laundering allegations, has also submitted its report, but told the court it could not take any further action till the ACB registered an FIR. The agency drew the court’s attention to “something unusual” comprising “single-name transactions” of huge amounts.
Petitioner Damania urged the court to provide a deterrent to investigative agencies from delaying the matter. “We approached all the authorities before coming before the court. I request the same law should be applicable to politicians. I don’t know how many months it will take for the ACB and ED to do basic inquiry into the evidence already provided.”
The court has posted the matter for hearing on June 18.
