Bail to 7 directors of cooperative unit

Additional sessions judge Vinay Joshi recently granted anticipatory bail to seven directors of Maharashtra State Sahakari Sangh Limited — the apex organisation of cooperatives bodies in the state. Shivajirao Vishnu Nalawade (59),Dr Dnyaneshwar Namdeo Mahajan (55),Chandrakant Pandurang Kale (67),Dnyaneshwar Raosaheb Wangade (55),Jayashree Soma Panchal (42),Anil Dattatraya Gajare (39) and Mahin Ramchandra Kadam (57) — all from Mumbai were granted anticipatory bail.

Government auditor Prakash Ramchandra Ghodke who had audited this year’s accounts of the Sangh had registered a case against the then board of directors and 34 others alleging they had misappropriated Rs 23.89 crore .

He alleged that they had misused their position while handing over the Sangh’s land on built-operate-transfer (BOT) basis.

Advocate Milind Pawar,counsel for the seven directors told the court that Ghodke had filed false complaint under pressure from the cooperatives commissioner and that a writ petition is pending in the Bombay High Court in this regard. After hearing both sides,the court granted anticipatory bail to the seven directors and kept the matter for hearing on September 20.