Maharashtra Sadan scam: ACB files chargesheet, senior NCP leader probed

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, February 25, 2016: The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau filed its chargesheet against senior National Communist Party leader, Chhagan Bhujbal, and 16 others in connection with  Maharashtra Sadan scam , in a court today.

Bhujbal along with his son Pankaj, nephew Sameer and 14 others has been roped in the 20,000 paged chargesheet. The chargesheet contains statements of 60 witnesses.

The case is entirely based on documentary evidence such as fund transfer and bank transactions.

According to ACB , in the construction of Maharashtra Sadan contractors earned 80 per cent profit against 20 per cent permitted in the government circular.

"However, books of accounts have been fudged to show that the profit earned is only one percent," they added.

The ACB had in June last year registered two FIRs against Bhujbal. The first one was related to alleged irregularities in allotment of a prime plot at Kalina in Mumbai to a developer. The second case was for alleged rampant corruption and large-scale irregularities in the construction of the new Maharashtra Sadan, the state government’s guest house in New Delhi.

The Public Works Department under Bhujbal had then allegedly awarded sub-contracts to firms, in blatant violation of rules, in the Maharashtra Sadan case. The FIR named the Bhujbal trio and 14 others.

The other accused who were named in the FIR were: 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.

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

According to Damania, the Public Works Department, under Bhujbal, had awarded sub-contracts to firms in blatant violation of rules. All these firms were floated or controlled by the members of the Bhujbal family. The new Maharashtra Sadan was built at the cost of Rs 100 crore when Congress-NCP coalition was in power in Maharashtra.