Court pulls up agencies for tardy probe against Tatkare

"It is a 2012 petition. What have you done for three years?

Former Minister Sunil Tatkare has been accused of land grab and ownership ofbenami companies.

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday came down heavily on the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Enforcement Directorate for dragging their feet in the probe against the former State Water Resources Minister, Sunil Tatkare.

A Division Bench of Justices N.H. Patil and S.B. Shukre, hearing a PIL petition filed by BJP MP Kirit Somaiya, asked the agencies, “It is a 2012 petition. What have you done for three years? How long will your investigation last? Your inquiry never ends. Every time an envelope [interim probe report in sealed cover] is filed and we keep it. What exactly is going on?”

Seeks more time

Additional Solicitor-General Anil Singh and Government Pleader Abhinandan Vagyani, appearing for the ED and ACB respectively, told the court that the agencies required more time to complete their probe.

Six months ago, the agencies launched an “open inquiry” into allegations made in the PIL petition of land grab, receipt of kickbacks and ownership of benami companies by Mr. Tatkare.

The former Minister’s counsel, Aspi Chinoy, said the petition was not maintainable. The court will hear the matter in two weeks.