Pay Rs500 fine first: Tribunal tells minister

Failure to pay a petty fine of Rs500 proved dear for minister for rural development Jayant Patil. In a case filed against him and others regarding an allegedly irregular auction of a sugar factory in Sangli district, Patil pleaded for removal of his name from the case claiming he had no connection with the case but was named only because he is a Cabinet minister.

Refusing to entertain his plea for dismissal, the debt recovery tribunal (DRT) asked Patil to first pay the fine imposed on him for not filing on time his say.

Former factory director Kundalik Dudhal of Raje Vijaysinh Daphale Co-operative Sugar Factory Limited located at Jat in Sangli district had moved a petition through his lawyer Aneeta Katariya before the DRT against the Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank Limited, commissioner of sugar factory, current owner of factory Rajarambapu Co-operative Sugar Factory Limited, state department of co-operation and Patil.

The petition had been moved under relevant sections of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 for carrying out auction of the factory and delay in condonation of 110 days.

DRT had asked respondents to file their say. Patil moved an application requesting that he be discharged as respondent. However, he did not file his say on the auction. During the hearing on Thursday, the bank and the current owner of factory filed their says. Patil was fined Rs500.

Katariya said, “The current factory is in the name of a cooperative named after Patil’s father Rajarambapu and so his name has been mentioned as respondent.”

DRT presiding officer Rajiv Vikram Singh Gautam said, “The respondent bank and current sugarcane factory filed their says and stated that Patil being a cabinet minister  cannot be joined as a party. Patil too had moved an application to delete his name from the petition. Minister Patil failed to deposit the cost in the court and hence the say filed by him was not taken on record. The petition filed by the complainant will be registered according to law and if minister Patil appears and raises any objection at that stage his points will be considered on merit.”

When dna contacted Patil, he said he was not aware that he had not paid the fine amount in the tribunal. He said he was unnecessarily being dragged into the petition. He said, “I shall pay the fine.”