ACB probe finds Rs 3.18 cr tainted money on babus…………..Prafulla Marpakwar I tnn
Mumbai: For the first time in the history of the anti-corruption bureau (ACB), the agency has successfully detected disproportionate assets worth Rs 3.18 crore from seven senior government officials.
When the specific details of the assets were brought to the notice of deputy chief minister R R Patil, he immediately asked the ACB to freeze all illegal assets.
By and large, the ACB has been concentrating on trap cases. This was the first time in the recent past that it launched a secret probe against a section of controversial and corrupt officials following Patil’s directives.
By and large, the ACB has been concentrating on trap cases. This was the first time in the recent past that it launched a secret probe against a section of controversial and corrupt officials following Patil’s directives.
“When it was confirmed that the assets were disproportionate to their known sources of income, we registered cases against them under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the amended criminal law’’ a senior home department official told TOI on Wednesday.
The official said the ACB checked the records of seven officials—Baban Kadam (police inspector, Mumbai), Baliram Rokade (executive engineer, irrigation department, Solapur), Bhagwan Laxman Chavan (assistant director, public health, Aurangabad), Sayed Rahim (motor vehicles inspector, Ahmednagar), Ramesh Medge (section engineer, irrigation department, Latur), Baban Patil, sub-divisional agriculture officer, Nandurbar) and Kedarnath Budhawant (agriculture supervisor, Jalna).
The ACB found that Kadam, who was also involved in the Maharashtra public service examination scam, had disproportionate assets worth Rs 1.54 crore. Rokade had Rs 20.39 lakh, Dr Chavan Rs 43.23 lakh, Rahim Rs 18.27 lakh, Medge Rs 11.42 lakh, Patil Rs 40.56 lakh and Budhawant Rs 30.10 lakh.
A senior ACB official said the bureau had sought permission from the government to probe into the disproportionate assets of these officials. After the details of the assets were confirmed, the ACB had sought authorisation from the state to seize the assets.
“A week ago, R R Patil granted authorisation to the ACB. Now, under the provisions of the ACB, the authorisation letter, along with the details of the properties, will be submitted before the special court for final orders,’’ the official said.