Thursday, Apr 25, 2024 | Last Update : 06:17 PM IST
MSCB ‘scam’: Bombay HC reserves order on activist’s petition
The petitioner had made allegations against big leaders of political parties.
Mumbai: The Bombay high court has reserved its order on a petition filed by activist Surinder Arora, seeking registration of a FIR and CBI investigation into an alleged multi-crore scam in the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank. The petitioner had made allegations against big leaders of political parties.
At last hearing, the petitioner brought to the notice of the court that despite registering a complaint, no action had been taken by the police yet. The court asked the state government why action had not been taken against political leaders and government employees involved in the scam. The court also asked the state who had restricted it from taking action against responsible persons. The court then directed the DCP of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) to remain present before it.
Accordingly, the DCP remained present before the court Wednesday. He informed the court that he had directed his officers who would file a report under section 169 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.PC) before the magistrate court. The court asked how the investigating agency could file a report under section 169 (release of accused when evidence is deficient) of the Cr.PC without registration of a FIR.
The court then rapped him and asked how he could file a report under section 169 of the Cr.PC without registering a FIR and investigation.
A division bench of Justice Satyaranjan Dharmadhikari and Justice Sandip Shinde was hearing the petition filed by Mr Arora who alleged that the board of directors (BOD) and chairman of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank had granted money generously to cotton and sugar mills. But the bank failed to recover the loans in time and therefore, went into losses.
The petitioner alleged that there were leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Congress and Shiv Sena in the BOD. Mr Arora in 2015 had complained to the police but it did not take any action for two years. Eventually, Mr Arora approached the HC and sought an investigation through the CBI and action against responsible persons.
