FIR against defected MNS neta for disproportionate wealth

Three months after six MNS corporators defected to Shiv Sena, the Maharashtra ACB have registered an FIR against former MNS corporator Parmeshwar Kadam. The agency has found that Kadam possessed assets around 60 per cent disproportionate to his known sources of income. Other defected corporators too could face action in coming days, government sources claimed.

The other corporators who switched sides were Dilip Lande, Archana Bhalerao, Ashwini Matekar, Dattatam Narvankar and Harshala More.

According to sources, an offence against Kadam was registered on Tuesday under section 13 (1) (e) which states that for if the government servant or any person on his behalf, is in possession or has, at any time during the period of his office, been in possession for which the public servant cannot satisfactorily account, of pecuniary resources or property disproportionate to his known sources of income.

“Prima facie our probe has revealed that Kadam has amassed assets around 60% disproportionate to his known sources of income. House searches are being conducted,” said a government source.

The action comes after both MNS and BJP had approached ACB in October last year alleging horsetrading. The party persons had alleged that crores of rupees were ‘offered’ to the corporators to defect.

“Now that an FIR has been registered in the matter, we will be probing allegations of horsetrading as well. Documents related to all the properties of Kadam, investments, his bank accounts, movable and immovable assets will be probed,” said the source.

Earlier, the ACB had recorded the statement of Sanjay Turde, the lone remaining BMC corporator of the MNS (ward no 166) who is also a complainant in the case.