Maha govt orders investigation into bank corruption case

Mumbai, July 14 (IANS) Maharashtra Minister of State for Home (Urban) Yogesh Kadam in the state council on Monday announced a probe by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) into the North Canara Gaud Saraswat Co-op Bank corruption case.

In his reply to a calling attention motion moved by BJP legislators Prasad Lad and Pravin Darekar, the minister said, the Managing Director, employees of North Canara Gaud Saraswat Co-operative Bank and the Chief Financial Officer of UB Engineering and other concerned conspired to open a bank account closed by the company in the Girgaum branch of the bank between 2018 and 2021 on the basis of a forged letter from the Chief Financial Officer and changed the signatory authority and made financial transactions in it.

The minister said that complaints have also been received that Rs 1.83 crore has been diverted elsewhere in this regard, and since the police officer investigating this case also has a connection with the bank, the entire matter will be investigated by the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

While giving an explanation in the matter of financial irregularities in this bank, Minister Kadam clarified that no written evidence of any financial transaction was found against the concerned Senior Police Inspector during the investigation.

However, the then-senior police inspector did not give proper direction to the investigation of the complaint filed in this case. Therefore, the administration has taken necessary action against him for dereliction of duty.

The minister said that Rs 1.83 crore frozen in the bank was de-frozen and withdrawn illegally. After this matter was revealed in the audit of the Reserve Bank, the bank returned the entire amount along with interest. In this regard, the Reserve Bank of India imposed a fine of Rs 50 lakh on the concerned bank.

A case has been registered against the then General Manager of this bank and his wife (the chairman of the bank). Based on the complaints received in this regard, a forensic audit has been conducted in 47 cases, and the investigation is currently underway.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Home (Rural), Pankaj Bhoyar, in the state council that a special investigation team (SIT) will conduct a probe into about 57,000 kg of beef being transported in two large containers in Kusgaon, Pune.

He was responding to a discussion on the calling attention motion moved by BJP member Shrikant Bharatiya and Shiv Sena UBT member Anil Parab.

Minister Bhoyar said that the preliminary investigation has revealed that the company Asian Foods Micro Pvt. Ltd. is involved in the transportation of beef. Since this company is from Hyderabad, the state government has requested the central government to cancel the license obtained by this company through APEDA, he added.

“Two owners of the company are accused in this case. One of the accused has been arrested and has been granted bail. The process is underway to arrest the other accused. It is being considered to impose the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on those who repeatedly smuggle such beef. If they are found committing the crime for the third time, MCOCA will be mandatory. Also, a decision will be taken in the upcoming session to bring a separate law against beef smuggling,” he said.

He added that if false cases have been registered against cow vigilantes working for the benefit of society, it will be reviewed, and the government will consider withdrawal of such cases.

Minister Bhoyar also informed that 2,849 cases have been registered in connection with the slaughter, transportation and sale of bovine animals between 2022 and 2025, and 4,677 accused have been arrested. He added that 1,724 tonnes of meat have also been seized.

--IANS

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