FIR against ex-minister Bhujbal in Maharashtra Sadan scam

Mumbai

The Anti-Corruption Bureau today filed an FIR against former Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal in connection with Maharashtra Sadan scam, three days after registering a case against him in allotment of land in Kalina here.

Bhujbal was Public Works Department minister in the previous Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra.

The FIR names him, his son Pankaj, nephew Samir and 14 others. The case relates to awarding of contract for construction of new building of Maharashtra Sadan, the state government’s guest house in New Delhi.

The other accused named in the FIR are Arun Deodhar, Devdutt Marathe, Bipin Sankhe, Krishna Chamankar, Pranita Chamankar, Tanvir Sheikh, Sanjay Joshi, Manik Shaha, Deepak Deshpande, Anil Kumar Gaikwad, Pravina Chamankar, Prasanna Chamankar, Iram Tanvir Sheikh and Geeta Joshi.

Following a complaint lodged by Aam Aadmi Party leader Anjali Damania, state ACB had initiated a probe against the Bhujbal and his family. Damania had alleged that there had been rampant corruption and large-scale irregularities in the construction of the new Maharashtra Sadan.

The Public Works Department, under Bhujbal, awarded sub-contracts to firms in blatant violation of rules. All these firms were floated or controlled by the members of the Bhujbal family, Damania alleged.

In April this year, the Bombay High Court had observed that there was prima facie evidence and ACB can register an FIR if a case of corruption was made out.

The new Maharashtra Sadan was built at the cost of Rs 100 crore when Congress-NCP coalition was in power in Maharashtra.

PTI