Irrigation scam: Show-cause to ACB for failing to submit chargesheet

ACB officials had on August 25 filed an FIR against 11 accused for their alleged role in the Rs 92-crore scam pertaining to the construction of a dam on the Balganga river. Rithe has been accused of preparing a false report in favour of the contractor.
Khatri and Rithe’s lawyer ensured their bail based on the ACB’s lapse in filing a chargesheet as it is mandatory for an agency to file a chargesheet in the case within 90 days of lodging an FIR.

Of the 11 people who were accused in the FIR, five are government officials and six are members of the FA construciton.
The irrigation scam, which had rocked the erstwhile Congress-NCP government, was pegged at Rs 70,000 crores. Spanning the length and breadth of the state, the scam involved special favours being shown to special contractors and construction of dams without proper technical feasibility.

The then chief engineer Vijay Pandhare and AAP leader Anjali Damania had acted as whistleblowers to the scam. Both Damania and Pandhare had alleged the unholy nexus between the NCP leaders.