The Anti-Corruption Bureau has written to National Informatics Department of the state, and they will scan copies of all important documents to save in the online data bank
The ACB does not want to lose important files in a Mantralaya fire-like incident. File pic
To avoid losing several files as in the case of the Mantralaya fire, the ACB has decided to save all important documents on the state government’s cloud storage. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Maharashtra, has decided to scan all documents related to former ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Ajit Pawar, and save them in a state data bank.
The ACB does not want to lose important files in a Mantralaya fire-like incident. File pic
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ACB Maharashtra has been investigating Chhagan Bhujbal’s role in different scams since the BJP-Shiv Sena government came to power in December 2014, and the investigations are almost complete. The ACB has registered two FIRs against Bhujbal, one in the Kalina library scam and the other in the Maharashtra Sadan scam. The ACB has also registered an offence with the Navi Mumbai police about a delay in allocation of houses to people who had booked flats in Hex World, a company owned by the Bhujbals.
“We will be filing a charge sheet in Kalina land scam by Wednesday and most likely complete all the investigations related to the Bhujbal case by August end,” said a senior police officer of ACB.
DG to be transferred
It is learnt there are a lot of developments, and Praveen Dixit, the Director General of Police, Maharashtra ACB is monitoring the investigation. However, Dixit is due for transfer in September. With Sanjeev Dayal, Maharashtra DGP due for retirement along with Arup Patnaik, DGP Housing, Dixit is mostly likely to take charge as Maharashtra DGP.
“Though it’s good news for the state that Dixit, a hard worker is taking charge as DGP, several sensitive cases with ACB will need proper monitoring, by whoever takes charge of ACB as Director General. Also, if a Mantralaya-like fire incident takes place, everything will be lost and Bhujbal and Pawar will go scot-free,” said an ACB officer. So the ACB has written to National Informatics Department of the state, and they will scan copies of all important documents related to both the cases.
Sources in ACB said they have a specific room on the first floor with entry only for investigation officers, and all the documents are stored in this room in their Worli office. “There are around 400 files related to both the cases of Bhujbal, but we need to decide what we need to scan and put on cloud,” said the ACB officer.
ACB yet to get valuer
However, the ACB is yet to get a valuer for the assets of Bhujbal. “We have written to the government to give us a valuer so that we can value the assets of Mr Bhujbal and decide whether a disproportionate assets case can be made out against him or not,” said a senior ACB officer.
The government is yet to give the ACB a valuer despite several reminders from the bureau. ACB sources said Bhujbal will challenge a private valuer’s reports in the court, so they are asking for a state valuer so that he cannot challenge it in court.
Life under threats
The blogger recently received numerous threats for his writings and stance against radicalism, his close friends said. He had removed all his photos from his Facebook page and used Kolkata as his current city after he had started getting the threats, they added. One of Neel’s friends Suprity Dhar said that he used to study in India and returned to Bangladesh a year ago. The motive behind Neel’s murder was not clear and no one claimed responsibility for the death. Police, however believe that a Islamist group behind the killing of three other bloggers this year could be responsible for the murder.
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