Bombay HC directs cops to lodge firs in fodder scam

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday directed the police in five districts of Maharashtra to lodge FIRs against cattle camp organisers and operators in connection with the Maharashtra fodder scam.

The division bench of Justice S.C. Dharmadhikari and Justice B.H. Dangre issued this direction while hearing a criminal public interest litigation filed by Gorakh Ghadge through advocate Ashish Gaikwad. The PIL has alleged that the government had spent hundreds of crores of rupees towards fodder for cattle in camps run by it during the drought of 2012-13 in Ahmednagar, Beed, Solapur, Satara, Osmanabad, Aurangabad and Sangli districts but a major chunk of the amount had been allegedly siphoned off by those running the camps by overstating the number of cattle.

The court on Friday directed the police to not only register FIR against institutions but also against directors of those institutions who have been found to have committed the fraud.

During the hearing, Mr Gaikwad pointed out to the court that the police was supposed to inform the court about actions taken so far and while most of the districts have filed reports, few including Beed, have not complied with the court’s order. Following this, the bench observed that the court’s order is binding on everyone and if no action has been taken within a week, the court would not only initiate contempt action against the police officers concerned but it might also order departmental action against such officers.