The Bombay High Court today asked Maharashtra government to explain why no first information report (FIR) has been lodged yet against former Medical Education minister Vijaykumar Gavit and his family in a disproportionate assets case.
"If FIR is not filed, what would be the use of probe?" said the bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka while directing government pleader Sameer Patil to file an affidavit on the issue within two weeks.
Even after an initial inquiry by anti-corruption bureau found prima facie substance in the allegations, no case has been registered, the court noted.
Advocate Patil said investigation was on but FIR has not been filed yet, which prompted the court to question the delay.
The government pleader said that investigators wanted to find out the source of funding of educational institutions controlled by Gavit family and this was taking time.
But the judges noted that this would be a part of the entire inquiry and could not be a ground to delay registration of FIR.
Deputy Superintendent of Police, ACB, Dhule, Shivaji Budhwant filed an affidavit saying he was investigating the case and Superintendent of Police, ACB, was monitoring the probe.
The court is hearing a public interest litigation filed by Nashik-based activist Vishnu Musale.
Last month too, the court had pulled up the state for "inaction" despite ACB finding prima facie evidence against Gavit and his family.
According to ACB, even prior to this petition it had received complaints against Gavit. So it held a discreet inquiry and found that prima facie there was substance in the allegations that the family had amassed assets disproportionate to the known sources of income.
Gavit, a senior NCP leader, was sacked from Maharashtra cabinet earlier this year after his daughter Heena Gavit accepted a Lok Sabha ticket from BJP from Nandurbar (and went on to win the election).
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