3-member SIT formed to probe MSRDC’s sacked MD Mopalwar
UNDER SCANNER CM to present himself before Lokayukta in Mehta case
The state government has appointed a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations against Radheshyam Mopalwar, the sacked Managing Director (MD) of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). The SIT will be headed by former chief secretary Johnny Joseph.
BJP legislator Anil alias Anna Gote had filed a complaint with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Income Tax Department and the Anti-Corruption Bureau against Mopalwar for his alleged “benami” properties.
Despite the PMO referring to the state about complaints received seeking a probe into Mopalwar’s alleged disproportionate assets, the government, till the monsoon session had not initiated any action against him.
The government was aware about his alleged disproportionate assets since January 2017, as the General Administration Department had received an online complaint against him from PMO through the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) in December 2016.
In a confidential letter dated February 3, 2017, addressed to the Director General of Income Tax (Investigation), Deputy Director of Income Tax (Headquarters) Verghese Joseph sent a detailed copy of the allegations against Mopalwar along with two CDs describing his alleged benami properties as well as his telephonic conversation of dubious nature.
On Sunday, the chief minister appointed a threemember committee headed by Johnny Joseph, former chief secretary to probe into Mopalwar’s case.
In another move, the CM has decided to present himself before Lokayukata in Housing minister Prakash Mehta’s alleged scam in MP Mill compound redevelopment scheme issue.
During monsoon session, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced probe against Mehta with Lokayukta as Mehta has allegedly allowed unauthorised transfer of extra building rights in the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project on the MP Mills compound in South Mumbai, originally granted to slum dwellers, to project-affected people.
Mehta had wrongly mentioned on the file of the project that he had kept the chief minister in loop about the transfer, which was denied by Fadnavis. Fadnavis had said he had decided on a probe by the Lokayukta into allegations made by the opposition against Mehta, even though there was no decision was taken in this particular case.
A GAD official said that according to provisions of Lokayukta, the chair has no right and power to ask CM to be present before him in any case. The government has sought opinion from Law and Judiciary department in this regard.
“The department has suggested to make amendment in the Act to ensure that Lokayukata will get power to ask CM to present himself,” the official said.
NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik commented, “The CM wants to prove himself clean and not involved in any scam but wants to expose Mehta and hence he chose to go before Lokayukta.”