Sanjay Patil : Nagpur : THE Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has strongly defended its ongoing probe into multi-crore irrigation scam and opposed transfer of further investigation to any other agency like Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Directorate of Enforcement (ED), and Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO). The investigation is being conducted expeditiously in “transparent, just and fair manner,” the ACB claimed in an affidavit filed before Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court while asserting that enquiries entrusted to ACB shall be done diligently and opposing transfer of probe to other agency as demanded.
The affidavit portraying ongoing investigation as stupendous success has been filed ahead of final hearing before High Court on March 13. The ACB claimed that the special investigation teams at Nagpur and Amravati have always “shown honest endeavour, considering the voluminous documents to be scrutinised, detailed statements to be recorded, information to be gathered so that the investigation/enquiries are taken to logical end in a speedy space.” The affidavit sworn in by Amravati SP (ACB) Shrikant Dhiware claimed that so far SITs have registered 39 criminal offences including 27 at Nagpur ad 12 at Amravati. Interestingly, the ACB claimed that it found no criminal element in many cases but only procedural and administrative irregularities and had recommended departmental action against concerned public servants.
The ACB had recommended departmental probe against 20 Executive Engineers (Nagpur-17, Amravati-03) and 19 divisional account officers attached to the office of the then executive engineers. About the latest cases filed by SIT, the affidavit claimed that in case of Jigaon the chargesheet has been filed against a private contractor on February 24, 2020, but chargesheet against public servants has not been filed due to order of High Court. In case of Raigad and Nimna Pedhi projects, the ACB filed chargesheet against private contractor on March 2. Investigation of irregularities of Waghadi project is over and ACB has sought prosecution sanction from competent authority and forwarded a proposal on February 24.
About the open enquiry conducted by ACB at Amravati region, out of 28 tenders probed, 12 offences have been registered chargesheet has been filed in three offences. In one offence investigation is completed and proposals for prosecution sanction have been sent to the competent authorities of the concerned public servants. Open enquiries of 15 irrigation projects are completed and closed as no criminal offence was disclosed, the ACB claimed. The enquiries are monitored by SPs of Nagpur and Amravati units on day-to-day basis while the Additional Director General (ACB) is supervising and scrutinising the investigations and open enquiries, the ACB claimed. During last hearing held on February 13, the demand of petitioner Atul Jagtap seeking to join CBI, ED, and SFIO was vehemently opposed by respondents including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar dubbing it as politically motivated.