By Muslim Mirror Desk
In a mockery of justice, Maharashtra Police’s Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has closed nine open enquires against NCP leader and new deputy CM Ajit Pawar in the irrigation scam. The ACB didn’t find any ‘evidence’ against him.
The move has given ammunition to the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine, which has accused the BJP of pressuring Ajit Pawar to switch sides.
The scam, pegged at around Rs 70,000 crore, relates to alleged corruption and irregularities in approval and execution of various irrigation projects in Maharashtra during the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) rule. Ajit Pawar was among the NCP ministers who were in-charge of the irrigation department at different times between 1999 and 2014 during the Congress-NCP coalition rule in Maharashtra.
However the old cases in which chargesheets have been filed, investigation against Pawar and others is underway. Open enquiry is the investigation which are conducted before filing a PE or an FIR. These enquires are started post complaints are received.
“‘Contract killing’ of democracy has now also become ‘contract killing’ of honesty and accountability in Maharashtra. No wonder, the only decision taken in ‘public interest’ by BJP-Ajit Pawar is to close all cases of corruption & malfeasance. The BJP way of probity in public life,” Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Monday hinted that 162 MLAs were in his party’s support and would come together at a Mumbai hotel at 7 pm. Legislators of the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress have been lodged in different hotels in the city presumably to avoid being poached by the Bharatiya Janata Party