FIR against Goa Cong leader, wife on corruption charges
The anti-corruption bureau of the Goa Police has filed an FIR against senior Congress leader Chandrakant Kavlekar for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets worth ₹5 crore.
“Kavlekar has still not been able to satisfy the investigating agencies about the additional source of income to the tune of ₹5 crore,” superintendent of police (ACB) Bosco George said. “If he fails to give a satisfactory reply, we might need his custodial interrogation,” he said.
The ACB, which has been investigating the complaint filed against Kavlekar in 2012, registered the FIR against him under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act on Friday.
The SP said the FIR also names Kavlekar’s wife Savitri, who is one of firms’ director, as co-accused and could be questioned.
“As of now the disproportionate assets have been valued at over ₹4.78 crore, excluding the unexplained amount of ₹5.50 crore,” the officer said.
The couple has been booked under section 13(2) (any public servant who commits criminal misconduct) of Prevention of Corruption Act.
Kavlekar, who is the leader of opposition in the Goa assembly, was chairman of Goa Industrial Corporation from 2005 to 2012, George said, adding that assets amassed during this period are under the ACB’s scanner.
The couple had submitted assets details amounting to ₹1 crore each before the Lokayukta.
The SP said the FIR took time as some of the properties were in Kerala and the documents related to were in Malayalam which needed to be translated.
He said the searches are going on at his residences and offices of his company. The SP said the legislator owns four companies.
Kavlekar, athree-termmember of Goa assembly, said he was ready for inquiry by ACB or any other agency. “I am not in the wrong,” he said, adding the BJPled government was trying to demoralise the opposition through such tactics.
The police filed a case against him after taking suo moto cognisance of media reports alleging his involvement in illegal allotment of plots. The investigations had also revealed that Kavlekar owned a plantation worth ₹32.5 crore in Kerala.