Mumbai Beat

VIP rly pass scam: Hearing deferredThe hearing of the anticipatory bail application of Chandrakant Dayama, one of the prime accused in th...

VIP rly pass scam: Hearing deferred

The hearing of the anticipatory bail application of Chandrakant Dayama, one of the prime accused in the VIP railway pass scam, has been adjourned for the second time to August 5. The matter, to be heard by Principal Sessions Judge A S Aguiar today, was adjourned because the defence lawyer, Shrikant Gupte, was not present in court.

Dayama told the police that one Shankar Kunchikurte had informed him of his appointment on the committee and had given him the documents. But the police said: 8220;It transpired that Chandrakant Dayama had paid Rs 50,000 to obtain these fake documents for the purpose of posing as a Rajya Sabha member and using documents for getting travel concessions in the higher class of railways8221;. The duty pass, for instance, was shown to have been issued8217; on March 23, 1998 and valid8217; up to May 2, 2005.

Police alleged that Dayama travelled extensively in India on many occasions s well as provided others with tickets from the quota. 8220;The accused-applicant was fully aware of the facts that the duty pass and other documents are false and fake and hence if he himself goes to the railway authorities with those documents he would be arrested,8221; argued the police.8221;

The police pleaded that Dayama8217;s bail application be rejected to enable them to 8220;bust the gang8221; which is 8220;8230;operating in Delhi, Mumbai and other places indulging in forging and preparing false documents, rubber seals etc and using the same for getting free travelling facilities of the higher class of railways without paying a single coin8221;.

Anticipatory bail of advocates rejected

The anticipatory bail applications of two advocates who had allegedly signed and notarised forged documents used by another accused in claiming a Rs 40 lakh tenement belonging to the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development AuthorityMHADA were today rejected by Principal Sessions Judge A S Aguiar.

While advocate and notary Krishnakant Lambat and advocate A N Pandey moved the sessions court for anticipatory bail, four others including three officials of MHADA were arrested earlier. According to Investigating officer Shyam Parulekar attached to the Economic Offences Wing of the Crime branch, one Abdul Kadar Mohammed Essaq had cheated MHADA and got fradulent allotment of a tenement valued at Rs 40 lakh by producing forged affidavits of two sub-tenants stating that they have relinquished their tenancy rights in favour of Abdul Kader. Police said that the signatories of the said documents expired long before the execution of the said document.

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Four persons were then arrested: C D Patil, M Bhagwat and N Kelkar 8211; all MHADA officials 8211; and Abdul Kadar Noor Mohammed Makwani, the bogus allotee. Police said both the advocates played a key role in the forging of the affidavit-cum-indemnity bond.