MPSC scam: Court rejects ACB closure report

In a strongly worded order passed last week,special judge V A Daulatabadkar observed,“This court is of the opinion that investigation has not been carried out in complete and proper manner when some of the material collected by the investigating officer suggests that there was malpractice during the said examination.”The court has asked the ACB to once again carry out the investigation.

Nearly five years after the alleged scam,in 2002,former MPSC secretary Seema Dhamdhere complained of a rampant recruitment scam in the police force. Her complaint caused an upheaval in the force and investigations allegedly revealed that then MPSC chairman Shashikant Karnik was involved in the case. Karnik was arrested and during interrogation led ACB sleuths to the Lohars.

Soon after the probe was launched in the case,the strongest evidence — the answer sheets were destroyed. The court has observed that in the absence of the answer sheets,the ACB can prove the offence with the help of circumstantial evidence.

On June 25,when the ACB came up with its closure report claiming that the complaint against the three brothers was false and registered on the basis of presumption,suspicion,false facts and out of grudge,Dhamdhere’s lawyer Raja Thakare opposed the move stating: “No independent investigation was conducted by the investigating officers,and statements of those shown as culprits were recorded as witnesses.”

He also argued that Dhamdhere’s complaint was in the capacity of a government servant and she did not stand to gain anything from the case.