The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed social activist Pravin Wategaonkar to submit documents supporting his allegations that Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan in connivance with a close associate was accepting money from builders in return for clearing proposals for public parking lots.
A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice M S Sanklecha was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Wategaonkar alleging corruption in allotment of public parking lots by Chavan and the Minister of State for the Urban Development deparment Bhaskar Jadhav.u00a0
"A person by name Rohan Jagdale, who is a close associate of the CM is also involved in the scam. This person's involvement was also discussed by a MLA in the assembly session," Wategaonkar alleged.
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The court then directed the petitioner to support his allegations with documents and affidavit within four weeks.
Wategaonkar today also sought to add CBI as a respondent party in his PIL so as to seek CBI inquiry under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
"According to a MLA, there are 11 public parking proposals that are pending for over four months as builders have refused to pay for clearing them. A person reportedly close to the chief minister has been meeting and negotiating with builders and the ruling party has been charging Rs 2,500 per sq feet for clearing these proposals. All these needs to be investigated," the petition alleges.
The state government had in its reply affidavit denied the allegations and said due process of law was followed while approving the proposals.
"The petition is misconceived and does not disclose any cause of action against the government or the chief minister.
Approval of proposals for parking lots is done as per the provisions of law and after following due procedure," stated the affidavit filed by UDD joint secretary Rajan Kop. u00a0
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