CBI registers case against Shankersinh Vaghela in land scam case

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Others named in the FIR are R K Sharma, then Director (Technical) of NTC; M K Khare, then Senior Manager (Legal) of NTC; M/s Hall and Anderson Ltd; Kamlesh Mehta, Director of Hall and Anderson Ltd and other unknown persons.

CBI sources said that during searches in New Delhi, a fixed deposit of Rs 1.65 crore and a locker were seized after searches at Pillai’s residence, two lockers and credit cards after searches at Sharma’s, and a fixed deposit of Rs.45 lakh and a locker after searches at Khare’s residence.

Searches were also conducted at the offices of NTC in New Delhi and Mumbai, the office of Hall and Anderson in Kolkata and at the office of a firm called Lotus Enterprises in Mumbai.

“The accused persons entered into a criminal conspiracy and transferred the land of M/s Shree Mudhusudan Mills in Worli, that was then owned by the NTC after the mill was nationalised, to Mehta’s firm in Kolkata in a wrongful manner, for a total consideration of Rs.29.35 crore whereas the actual value of the land was much higher. An alleged loss of Rs.709.27 crore was caused to the government exchequer,” said a CBI source.

According to sources, Hall and Anderson was allowed to develop 27,500 sq m of the 80,785 sq m mill.

The mill had earlier been declared sick and nationalised under the Sick Textile Undertaking (Nationalisation) Act, 1974.

The CBI had registered a Preliminary Enquiry in the matter on May 13, 2014.