Cop who makes 51k a month worth 40crore

Inspector Was Busted For 15,000 Bribe
As a police inspector, Mahendra Chavan (48) makes Rs 51,000 a month. That he has three bank accounts with Rs 16 lakh in deposits can be explained by smart investments. That he has two cars and has liquor worth Rs 30,000 in the bar can be explained by considering him to be a man of taste who knows his priorities. What cannot be explained, and what has the police searching for answers, is that he owns property worth over Rs 40 crore.

Chavan, an officer at the Ulhasnagar police station, was caught by the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) four days ago for accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000. There are other sordid details about him. The ACB said he is a loan shark: the bureau has learnt of at least two people who took Rs 16 lakh from him at very high interest rates. It said he is also a sex pest.

Chavan comes from a middle class family; his wife is a homemaker and they have two school-going children. The ACB raided his home in Varap village, Titwala, and found proof of assets far beyond his known sources of income. They include documents proving he owns 187 guntha, or over 18,918 sq m, in Kalyan, Titwala and Ulhasnagar. The properties are worth over Rs 40 crore, said experts. “Because of a boom in the area, property rates are very high. The cost of one guntha in places like Maharal and Varap on Murbad Road can vary in the Rs 10-30 lakh range,” said Ashok Jadhav, an agent.

Inspector Vaidya of ACB, Thane, said the bureau is yet to reach the exact valuation for the properties, “but yes, the price of land in those areas is very high and what Chavan owns may cost several crores of rupees”.

An ACB source said a preliminary probe suggests that Chavan bought property with ill-gotten money. “He comes from a very ordinary background and is the only earning member in his family.”

On sex complaints against Chavan, an officer said, “At least eight women have complained against him, claiming that he sexually abused them when they went to lodge cases at his police station. We have recorded the statements of three of the women. We will submit a report on the matter to the Thane police commissioner, who can then have an FIR filed under sections 354 (sexual assault) and 509 (words, gestures or act intended to insult the modesty of women) of the Indian Penal Code against Chavan.”
Courtesy:
Pradeep Gupta TNN
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CWG FIR may bring Sheila under probe : AAP Govt To Pursue Street Lights Scam

New Delhi: In a development that puts the role of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit in alleged Commonwealth Games scams under the purview of investigation, the anti-corruption bureau has filed an FIR in a case of “fraud in the purchase of imported luminaries that caused a loss of Rs 31 crore to the exchequer”.

The Delhi cabinet met on Thursday and decided to probe the alleged street lights scam. The ACB promptly moved to file an FIR on the basis of irregularities cited by the Comptroller & Auditor General’s report in 2011. The case is learned to have been filed under section 420 (cheating), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and section 13 (1 c and d) of Prevention Of Corruption Act.

‘APPARENT LOSS OF 31CR’
AAP GOVT ALLEGES

• Apparent loss of 31.07cr to Delhi govt, caused by PWD, MCD and NDMC, as items were imported. Indigenous items not inferior to imported ones
• When the real cost of the imported item is considered as base price, loss much more

Scheme of upgrades and use of imported items at exorbitant rates apparently a conspiracy and exercise to benefit certain companies or individuals at taxpayer’s cost ‘Clear nexus between Sheila team, vendors’ W hile the FIR has not named former CM Sheila Dikshit, sources told TOI that it includes a line, “under the chairmanship of former CM and her ministers”, making it evident that Dikshit figures in the investigation. Sources close to Dikshit said she did not want to comment on the matter at this stage and that she has not been named in the FIR.

Those who have been named are those who received “pecuniary benefits”. They include the contractors who supplied street lights during the Games, sources said.

The AAP government’s decision followed a scrutiny of CAG’s performance audit report on the Commonwealth Games, the Shunglu Committee report, PWD’s reply to the Shunglu Committee and CAG reports, and available records related to modernization of the Delhi street lighting system.

The project for modernization of Delhi street lights was conceived by the state government in June 2006, with plans to implement it across the capital within two years. Detailed lighting standards were prepared in November 2006 to be followed by all the departments concerned, namely PWD, NDMC and MCD. The project was executed on around 800km of Delhi roads at a tendered cost of Rs 286 crore. The lighting standard provided only the technical parameters of performance of lamps and luminaries. PWD, while adopting the same specifications, stipulated the use of a mix of imported and indigenous luminaries for different categories of roads.

“In the process, it appears that there was clear collusion with vendors by some officials and the then chief minister/ ministers to cause huge financial loss to the government and wrongful gain to vendors/contractors and others,” said a statement issued by CM Arvind Kejriwal's office on Thursday.

The statement added that in July 2007, SpaceAge Switch Gears had submitted an expression of interest as a “manufacturer of luminaries of international repute, and of poles in India”. The board of assessors (BoA) disqualified it in November 2007. On being disqualified, the firm appealed in November 2007 to then CM Sheila Dikshit for inclusion as a tenderer for the work. The vendor’s plea was directly forwarded to the engineer-in-chief. Subsequently, the firm was re-assessed by the BoA and this time made the cut.

According to the CM’s statement, if the BoA had been fair, it would have given a similar opportunity to the other two rejected firms. Records, however, do not show any such attempt.

“Unusual interest was displayed by the hon'ble chief minister in this project. This is demonstrated by the fact that meetings were held at her residence, imported luminaries were approved by her and competition was restricted to only three parties at her instructions...” the Shunglu committee report stated.

SHEILA CONNECTION

• While the FIR has not named former CM Sheila Dikshit, sources say it contains a line “under the chairmanship of former CM and her ministers”, making it evident that Dikshit figures in the investigation.
• Sources close to Dikshit said she would not like to comment at this stage

COURTESY:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
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Cops seek speaker’s sanction to prosecute Kripa for corruption

Mumbai police write to Speaker Dilip Walse-Patil to invoke the Prevention of Corruption Act against the beleaguered Cong leader

The Mumbai Police has sought the Assembly speaker’s permission to prosecute senior Congress leader Kripa Shankar Singh under the Prevention of Corruption Act, three months after the Supreme Court dismissed his plea seeking stay on the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the allegations.

The Supreme Court had in September directed Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh, who is heading the SIT, to submit a final report or a closure report before a trial court in Mumbai.

Police wrote to Dilip Walse-Patil, the Assembly speaker last week, seeking sanction to proceed against Kalina MLA Singh, who resigned as the city Congress chief last year following allegations of corruption. The Prevention of Corruption Act demands that the investigating agency seeks prosecution sanction from the controlling authority of any public servant against whom it intends to proceed.

According to the Mumbai Police sources, the SIT probe revealed that Singh amassed assets around 20 per cent more that his sources of income.

Satyapal Singh and Walse-Patil remained unavailable for comment, but police sources said a watertight case has been prepared against Singh. “Police have sought permission to prosecute a senior politician, which proves the cops have a strong case,” a source said.

Kripa Shankar Singh’s troubles started in 2010, when activist Sanjay Tiwari filed a complaint against the politician with the state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Not satisfied with the ACB probe, Tiwari filed a public interest litigation in the High Court, which directed the then Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik to register an offence. Kripa Shankar challenged the High Court order in the Supreme Court, which didn't stay the probe but started monitoring the investigation.

THE ALLEGATIONS
Tiwari alleged in his PIL that Kripa Shankar was close to former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, an accused in the multi-crore hawala scam and other corruption cases.

Kripa Shankar’s son Narendra is married to Ankita, daughter of Kamlesh Singh, who was a minister in the Koda-led Cabinet. The PIL alleged that Ankita received Rs 1.75 crore from Kamlesh's bank account, and that there were huge transactions from the bank accounts of Kripa Shankar's wife Malti too.

The PIL, which Kripa Shankar termed “politically motivated”, said that the Congress leader bought a number of properties in a span of just two years (between 2004 and 2006).

In November 2009, Mumbai Mirror revealed thataNaviMumbaipropertyworthRs25crore, in the name of Kripa Shankar's wife, was not mentioned in the affidavit declaring his assets ahead of the 2009 Assembly elections.

The purchase agreement was signed by the power of attorney holder, a constable named Vishnukant Shukla (how does a constable hold the power of attorney for a plot worth Rs 25 crore bought by the Congress leader's wife in 2004, Mumbai Mirror, November 17, 2009).

Kripa Shankar is also accused of not declaring two plots co-owned by his wife, and a duplex apartment in Vile Parle, bought in the name of his wife and son, to which he said the apartment was bought by his son and that his wife's ownership was only nominal.
Courtesy:
Abhijit.Sathe @timesgroup.com TWEET @_abhijit_sathe
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SCAMSTERS ON THE RUN: ACB sets up two new cells to nail graft accused

Mumbai: To enhance the conviction rates and bring a strict discipline in various departments, the state anti-corruption bureau (ACB) has set up a technical analysis wing (TAW) and a recommendation cell.

While TAW will help the ACB collect technical evidences like data from computer hard disks/motherboards, mirror images, CCTV footages and other evidences, the recommendation cell will suggest punishments for officials caught in the corruption cases. The two cells, which came into effect recently, are the brainchild additional commissioner of police (ACB) Rajesh More.

Sources said that when a public servant is arrested in corruption and disproportionate assets cases , the ACB carries searches of their houses and offices, and seizes computers, laptops, cellphones, etc, as evidence.

“Many-a times, the accused are let off due to lack of evidence or when an investigating officer fails to present technical evidences before the court of law. Some cases are too technical for a layperson to understand. In such cases, TAW will explain the charges,” said More, adding that these cells will reduce the burden on Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), which is short-staffed.

More said that it was not feasible to transport the entire computer or other electronic devices, hence TAW will retrieve data into hard copies, make mirror images of the motherboard and will help the IO in presenting his case accurately and precisely before the court of law.

About the recommendation cell, an officer said, “It has been seen in the past that court trials go on for years, during which the IO changes and senior officials too get transferred. In such cases, the arrested corrupt officials get acquitted due to lack of evidence or lapses. The recommendation cell will hence suggest to the departments concerned on punishments, stoppage of increments, promotions, etc,” said an ACB officer. In many cases, several accused officers are reinstated at key posts even before their cases are settled in the court, the officer added.

“This cell will see that the accused’s act is brought on record in his Annual Confidential Report (ACR). The cell, after going through court orders, will recommend suitable punishment to the departments concerned,” said the officer.
Courtesy:
S Ahmed Ali TNN
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