Ajit Pawar, Suresh Dhas under ACB, EOW scanner?
By editor, Asian Age
Created 24 Sep 2015 - 00:00
Former deputy chief minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, along with the party’s former minister of state Suresh Dhas, has come under the scanner of both the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) for alleged corruption of over Rs 100 crore in Mahananda Dairy. Dairy Development Minister Eknath Khadse gave an order of inquiry to both authorities on Wednesday.
Mr Khadse held a meeting with ACB DG Praveen Dixit, Additional CP of EOW Dhananjay Kamlakar, principal secretary of Dairy and Development Department Mahesh Pathak and officials from development and cooperative departments in his office at Mantralaya on Wednesday. He handed over documents pertaining to alleged corruption in Mahananda to both inquiry authorities. “ACB and EOW will inquire into the matter; all directors, MDs and CFOs will be called by these authorities and once they are found guilty, will be arrested,” he said. Mr Khadse further said that the then director of Mahananda Mr Ajit, former chairman Mr Dhas; chairman and close confidante of NCP MP Supriya Sule — Vaishali Nagawade and close confidant of NCP chief Sharad Pawar —Vinayak Patil would be in trouble. Out of 40 directors, 21 have already resigned from their posts last week and their resignations were approved in a meeting held with Mr Khadse.
The Maharashtra State Cooperative Milk Federation, popularly called Mahananda, had been under inquiry ever since the government changed hands last year. It came under scrutiny of the cooperative department when Mahananda’s then managing director Shivaji Talekar was found involved in a Rs 100 crore scam in 2005. Later, he was arrested by the police along with 14 other officials and then directors.
Mr Khadse also spoke with the Gujarat home minister and asked for the status of the case registered against Mahananda at Mehsana police station. Ms Nagawade and the Board of Directors purchased fodder from Mehsana cooperative society in 2013 and did not pay the bill of Rs 4 crore.
According to Shri Naik, RTI activist who has filed several complaints against the state during the past five years, the board of directors of Mahananda was involved in misuse of funds of the federation in foreign tours and the tetra pack plant.
“Ms Nagawade, chairman of Mahananda who resigned from her post last week, misused government and federation funds. She, along with the board of directors indulged in corruption in installing the tetra pack plant to provide milk to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation-run schools,” said Mr Naik.
“The board of directors was also involved in corruption in the milk powder plant located in Pune district. The overall corruption was to the tune of Rs125 crore,” he added.The cooperative department inquired into the matter and held the board of directors responsible for corruption. The department suggested taking action against the directors to recover the amount.
http://www.asianage.com/print/423084
Pawar in his complaint has named two Directors of the company SGFX Financials Sarvesh Narendra Bharde and Ms Shahnaz Ashraf Bharde as the two individuals who 'falsely and fraudulently' submitted Pawar's name without his knowledge and incorporated the firm.
The NCP chief states that while his date of birth, occupation and other details were accurate, he had not authorised anyone in the firm to use it to name him as a Director in the company.
"I state that the accussed named have neither without my knowledge nor without my authority, falsely and fraudulently made the filings to the UK Companies House by falsely impersonation, nor taking on my identity."said Pawar.
Mr Khadse held a meeting with ACB DG Praveen Dixit, Additional CP of EOW Dhananjay Kamlakar, principal secretary of Dairy and Development Department Mahesh Pathak and officials from development and cooperative departments in his office at Mantralaya on Wednesday. He handed over documents pertaining to alleged corruption in Mahananda to both inquiry authorities. “ACB and EOW will inquire into the matter; all directors, MDs and CFOs will be called by these authorities and once they are found guilty, will be arrested,” he said. Mr Khadse further said that the then director of Mahananda Mr Ajit, former chairman Mr Dhas; chairman and close confidante of NCP MP Supriya Sule — Vaishali Nagawade and close confidant of NCP chief Sharad Pawar —Vinayak Patil would be in trouble. Out of 40 directors, 21 have already resigned from their posts last week and their resignations were approved in a meeting held with Mr Khadse.
The Maharashtra State Cooperative Milk Federation, popularly called Mahananda, had been under inquiry ever since the government changed hands last year. It came under scrutiny of the cooperative department when Mahananda’s then managing director Shivaji Talekar was found involved in a Rs 100 crore scam in 2005. Later, he was arrested by the police along with 14 other officials and then directors.
Mr Khadse also spoke with the Gujarat home minister and asked for the status of the case registered against Mahananda at Mehsana police station. Ms Nagawade and the Board of Directors purchased fodder from Mehsana cooperative society in 2013 and did not pay the bill of Rs 4 crore.
According to Shri Naik, RTI activist who has filed several complaints against the state during the past five years, the board of directors of Mahananda was involved in misuse of funds of the federation in foreign tours and the tetra pack plant.
“Ms Nagawade, chairman of Mahananda who resigned from her post last week, misused government and federation funds. She, along with the board of directors indulged in corruption in installing the tetra pack plant to provide milk to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation-run schools,” said Mr Naik.
“The board of directors was also involved in corruption in the milk powder plant located in Pune district. The overall corruption was to the tune of Rs125 crore,” he added.The cooperative department inquired into the matter and held the board of directors responsible for corruption. The department suggested taking action against the directors to recover the amount.
http://www.asianage.com/print/423084
Sharad Pawar files police complaint against 2 for naming him as director in a UK based company
Nationalist Congress Party Chief Sharad Pawar has filed a police complaint at the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) against two individuals for adding his name as a director in a dubious company SGFX Financials that saw the value of its shares increase from Rs 70 crores to Rs 7 lakh crores in six months.Pawar in his complaint has named two Directors of the company SGFX Financials Sarvesh Narendra Bharde and Ms Shahnaz Ashraf Bharde as the two individuals who 'falsely and fraudulently' submitted Pawar's name without his knowledge and incorporated the firm.
The NCP chief states that while his date of birth, occupation and other details were accurate, he had not authorised anyone in the firm to use it to name him as a Director in the company.
"I state that the accussed named have neither without my knowledge nor without my authority, falsely and fraudulently made the filings to the UK Companies House by falsely impersonation, nor taking on my identity."said Pawar.
The NCP Chief said that his signatures have been forged by the two accussed to start the company and has asked the EOW to file an FIR in the case. According to SGFX Pawar was made Director of the company on December 13,2010 till his resignation on January 5th,2011.
The value of the company shares shot up from 70 crores in January 2011 to Rs 7 lakh crores in June 2011.
NCP Chief Sharad Pawar said he has no idea who these people were. " I don't know these people and why they have used my name in such a fraudulent manner. They must be trying to use my name to fool or cheat other and hence to get to the bottom of the matter, I have filed a police complaint."said Pawar.