2 min readMumbaiJul 26, 2014 01:24 AM IST
First published on: Jul 26, 2014 at 01:24 AM IST
Bombay High Court
The Bombay High Court Friday asked the state government why an FIR was not registered against NCP MLA Vijay Kumar Gavit and his family when the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had earlier said there was prima facie substance in the allegations of disproportionate assets against the minister.
The ACB had, on April 10 this year, informed the court that some substance was found in the allegations of disproportionate assets against the MLA and his family.
Justices A S Oka and A S Chandurkar directed government pleader Sameer Patil to file an affidavit on the issue within two weeks.
The NCP leader, who was medical education minister in the Congress-NCP government, was recently dropped from the Cabinet after his daughter Heena Gavit joined the BJP and fought election from the Nandurbar Lok Sabha constituency.
The ACB’s affidavit was filed in connection to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Nashik-based activist Vishnu Musale, which sought Gavit’s prosecution. The court was told by the ACB that after conducting a discreet inquiry into the assets of Gavit and his family, it had found material against them and submitted a proposal to the state government on March 5.
The ACB said the proposal sought permission for an open inquiry against the minister. The permission is still awaited, according to the affidavit.
Petitioner’s lawyer Uday Warunjikar said Gavit’s father was a teacher in Nandurbar and Gavit himself had worked as a lecturer until 1994. His last monthly salary in June 1994 was Rs 9,715. He was elected an MLA in 1994 and made tribal development minister.
Warunjikar said information acquired through the Right To Information (RTI) Act showed Gavit having personal assets worth Rs 1.3 crore. His family’s assets in the name of wife and daughters were worth Rs 1.5 crore.
mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com
Bombay High Court
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