Thane ACB arrests trio for role in irrigation scam

The Thane anti-corruption bureau (ACB) on Monday arrested three more people -- Girish Babar, then executive engineer of Konkan Irrigation division; Balasaheb Patil, former chief engineer of Konkan region; and Ramchandra Shinde, the superintendent engineer of the Thane irrigation department – in connection with the irrigation scam. The trio was produced in court on Tuesday and has been remanded in judicial custody.

According to the police, partners of FA Enterprises -- Nisar Khatri and Fateh Mohammed Abdula Khatri, Jaitun Fateh Mohammed Khatri, Abes Fateh Mohammed Khatri, Jahed Fateh Mohammed Khatri -- participated in the tendering process for Balganga dam in Raigad district under fake company names to seek the contract and show the tender process was conducted in competitive manner.

The ACB had arrested 11 peo ple, including five contractors and six officers, in August.sev eral officers from private compa nies, too, were allegedly involved in the scam. They are submitted fake documents to show they got approval from the water and san itation department. An ACB offi cer said, “We have arrested the trio involved in the scam. They were produced in the court and got judicial custody till Novem ber 8. We had also arrested Nisar Khatri, Kolad’s deputy engineer Rajesh Rithe and division engi neer Vijay Kasat who were given bail by the court.”