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SIT to probe money-laundering allegations against Chhagan Bhujbal, kin

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The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe charges of money laundering against NCP leader and former PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal and his family.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice BP Colabawalla asked the SIT to submit its report by February 28. "In case the investigation is not complete by then, an interim report must be submitted in respect of all the allegations which are being probed," said the bench.

The SIT will comprise the director general of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and director of Directorate of Enforcement (ED). It will probe allegations of money transfer of above Rs1 crore into bank accounts of private companies run by Bhujbal, his family members, and employees of Mumbai Education Trust and their family members.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), accusing Bhujbal of misusing his position and receiving kickbacks on a projects.

The court observed that it had to take up the matter as no steps were taken for more than one year (after the allegations were made). "This appears to be a fit case for the Director of Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to constitute a special inquiry team."

The court further directed the SIT to submit a report about the complaints where AAP has given specific references of specific contracts to some contractors.

Ashutosh Kumbhkoni, counsel for the ACB, said that they would conduct an open inquiry against Bhujbal and others in respect of all allegations of corruption made in the PIL. During the ongoing winter session of the state legislature, the government has announced that an open inquiry would be conducted into allegations of corruption for awarding contracts of Maharashtra Sadan at Mumbai and Delhi and for a plot of land at Andheri.

The petition alleged that as PWD Minister, Bhujbal had favoured a contractor M/s Chamankar Enterprises to rebuild Maharashtra Sadan in Mumbai and Delhi at a cost of Rs 100 crore. The contractor had in turn collectively made payments of over Rs1 crore to two firms – Origin Infrastructure Pvt Ltd and Ideen Furniture – controlled by Bhujbal and his kin, alleges the PIL.

One of the directors of Origin Infra was Sanjay Joshi, who is an employee of Mumbai Education Trust run by Bhujbal, the petition further alleged. It goes on to say that Ideen Furniture has Vishaka Bhujbal and Shefali Bhujbal, wives of Pankaj Bhujbal and Sameer Bhujbal, son and nephew of the former minister respectively, as its directors.

Anil Anturkar and Sugandh Deshmukh, counsels for AAP, alleged that the modus operandi was to favour the contractor who in turn made certain payments to companies controlled by Bhujbal and his relatives.

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