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This is an archive article published on November 26, 2015

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.

CHIEF Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed that showcause notices be issued to officers of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), who have failed to submit the chargesheet in the irrigation scam within the stipulated 90-day time frame.

A local court in Thane had earlier this week granted bail to a contractor, allegedly the main accused in the Balganga irrigation scam. Nissar Khatri of FA Constructions and Rajesh Rithe, an engineer with the Konkan Valley Development Corporation, were granted bail with a surety bond of Rs 25,000 each.

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.

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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.

Partha Sarathi Biwas is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express with 10+ years of experience in reporting on Agriculture, Commodities and Developmental issues. He has been with The Indian Express since 2011 and earlier worked with DNA. Partha's report about Farmers Producer Companies (FPC) as well long pieces on various agricultural issues have been cited by various academic publications including those published by the Government of India. He is often invited as a visiting faculty to various schools of journalism to talk about development journalism and rural reporting. In his spare time Partha trains for marathons and has participated in multiple marathons and half marathons. ... Read More

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