Govt replaces prosecutor in Jalgaon scam; Anna opposes

Mumbai: Social activist Anna Hazare Tuesday criticised the Maharashtra government’s decision to appoint a new public prosecutor to hear the appeals against conviction in the Gharkul housing scam.

Speaking to journalists at Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar, Mr Hazare alleged that due procedure had not been followed while appointing the new public prosecutor to represent the government against the appeals filed in the Bombay high court by some of the convicts.

While advocate Pravin Chavan was the public prosecutor in the trial court, the BJP-led government has now appointed Amol Savant as special prosecutor to hear the appeals filed by some of the convicts in the high court.

Mr Hazare said that advocate Chavan had done well as a prosecutor and should continue. He alleged that since advocate Savant had assisted a senior lawyer who was now representing the convicts in the high court, he had an indirect link with the convicts.

A district court in Dhule on August 31 sentenced former ministers Suresh Jain and Gulabrao Deokar to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment for their involvement in the scam.