Transfer MSCB case to CBI: Petition
MUMBAI: A petition has been filed in the Bombay high court (HC) seeking transfer of the investigation into the alleged Maharashtra State Co-operative (MSC) Bank scam from Maharashtra Police’s economic offences wing (EOW) to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The petition was filed by the activist who lodged the complaint in the MSC Bank scam. The petitioner has alleged that the closure report filed by EOW giving a clean chit to the then finance minister Ajit Pawar and 75 directors of the district banks was questionable as it was based on the statement of managing director Ajit Deshmukh, who was also named in the alleged scam.
The petitioner claimed that though there was enough evidence and statements of other authorities confirming the scam, Deshmukh had given a statement that the banks had recovered the alleged losses and the offences were of civil nature, based on which, the C-summary report (closure report) was filed by EOW last year.
EOW had started the probe after receiving directions from the Bombay HC in 2018 while hearing a public interest litigation filed by activist Surinder Arora.
The petition, filed by Arora and Manik Jadhav through advocate Satish Talekar, alleged the closure report filed by the investigating officer of EOW before the sessions court last month recorded statements of directors who are accused in the case and incorporated Deshmukh’s statement in verbatim, which show that the cyclostyle statements were prepared with common design and agenda by the investigating agency in collusion with the accused.
The petitioners opposed the
C-summary report, wherein EOW had filed an intervention plea in the proceedings, on the grounds that it was a serious economic case and required thorough investigation.
Stressing on the need to transfer the probe to CBI, the petition stated, “The conduct of the EOW right from the very beginning in stating that no cognisable offences have been made out till filing of C-summary report itself warrants investigation by an independent agency to ensure fair trial of the proceedings.”
The bench is likely to take up the petition for hearing on Monday, March 1.