Nagpur updates: The deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar, denied all allegations made against him in the irrigation multi-crore scam, and opposed any attempt to hand the investigation over to central agencies like the CBI, ED, Serious Fraud Investigating Office (SFIO), and the IT department.
Before last week’s PIL hearing with petitioners Jan Manch and Atul Jagtap, Pawar, Intimate No 7, alleged that no exceptional case had been filed by petitioners for the investigation’s handing over to Central Authorities. The Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) had previously refused to hand over the investigation to CBI, ED, SFIO, and I-T claiming that it would hinder the investigation. It says that through its Special Investigation Teams (SITs) in Nagpur and Amravati, it operates and has filed several offenses against contractors and VIDC officials by Nagpur updates
Ajit Pawar in his most recent affidavit before the Bombay high court Nagpur bench this week claimed that the change of government following assembly polls can not be the basis for the change in investigative agencies. “When the petitioner had complete faith in the investigative agency earlier, how did he lose trust after policy change?”He said.” He said.
When asked about Jagtap’s locus standi, Ajit Pawar said he was the contractor himself and had submitted multiple tenders in various projects. “The applicant should not use tribunals to settle personal scores. He has a misunderstanding of a fraud that remains to be proven. The courts can not look at or monitor proceedings and they can not order the particular person to prosecute me, “he said.
In denying Jagtap’s allegations that the Ajit Pawar investigation had not been conducted properly, the triple deputy chief minister said that on September 11 last year he had been questioned and interviewed and that he had also made written responses to the questionnaire.
“The petitioner shouldn’t have had a biased attitude as inquiries have been carried out against him during the previous government and multiple FIRs have been lodged against contractors. I can not be invited to answer every question because I have not been made so far as an accused in a lawsuit.
