KDMC officials raided

Said the Assistant Commissioner of Police Shankar Zerekar said, “We received a call at around 1.30 pm about both these officials taking bribes from contractors for awarding contracts. After preliminary inquiries we conducted a surprise raid on Jaywant Mhatre.” Interestingly Sunil Joshi was sitting with Mhatre when the cops discovered Rs 60,000 in cash. Mhatre, however, could not explain how the money came to be with him.

The ACB then raided Joshi’s office as well. A search revealed that he too had Rs 28,800 with him. According to sources, both the amounts were in Rs 500 denomination and belonged to the same series. The ACB, it is reliably learnt, is trying to unearth the balance Rs 1,12,000 from the same series.

Jaywant Mhatre is the nephew of state Tourism Minister Jagannath Patil, while his sister Bharati Mhatre is also a corporator at the KDMC. She was seen walking out of the house which had convened for the General Body meeting soon after the raid began.

Coming close on the heels of the storm brewing over the graft charges made by the Shiv Sena standing committee member Vaman Mhatre against standing committee member and the civic secretary, the KDMC is agog with rumours linking both the issues.

Deputy Commissioner and officiating commissioner R K Sonawane refused to comment on the raids by the ACB “without getting anything in writing from the ACB.”

Following Vaman Mhatre’s allegations the administration is leaving no stone unturned in organising a fight against, what one of the officials called, “witch-hunting by corporators.” An association of Class I and II KDMC officials under the chairmanship of the civic secretary C S Mane has been hurriedly convened for this purpose.

Sonawane, who is also a member of the association, refused to give his response. He was, however, categorical that the association is not being protective of any official indulging in malpractice.

Meanwhile, the Sena corporator and standing committee chairman Vaman Mhatre who had stirred up a storm with his allegations regarding graft, has been missing since yesterday.

He was huddled in a closed door meeting with Thane Sena leader Anand Dighe, Dombivli Sena leader Ganesh Chaudhary and Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Transport (KDMT) chairperson Kaka Hardas after which he left saying that he was going to the KDMC. “Since then he has been missing,” said his brother Bala Mhatre who was concerned about his safety because of his “frankness.” On being asked why they had not gone to the police, he said, “We are worried that the publicity may bring harm to him.”