Case filed against BJP leader Pravin Darekar for alleged Mumbai Bank fraud

The complainant, an Aam Aadmi Party leader, accused BJP leader Pravin Darekar of using bogus membership of a labour organisation to get directorship at the Mumbai Bank and alleged that there was fraud in the bank during his tenure.

MUMBAI: A case was registered with the MRA Marg police against the leader of opposition in the Maharashtra legislative council (MLC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pravin Darekar in connection with an alleged bank fraud case, said the complainant and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Dhananjay Shinde.

The Mumbai police registered an FIR against BJP leader Pravin Darekar following a complaint filed by an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader. (File)

“We have filed a complaint with the Mumbai police on January 3. The MRA Marg police recorded my statement and registered a case against him now. We have also approached the economic offences wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police for investigation,” Shinde said on Tuesday.

Shinde alleged that Darekar neither gets any contract of labour supply nor does he work as a labourer, but he has been contesting for the post of director at the Mumbai Bank for 20 years. “There was fraud in the Mumbai Bank during his tenure and the cooperative department of the state government also found material indicating fraud during an audit,” Shinde alleged in his statement.

Shinde alleged that Darekar registered himself as a labour back in 1997. Later he contested in the 2009 Maharasthra assembly elections on a Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) ticket and won the polls where he declared that he is into a private business, said Shinde.

“He showed his property value of more than ₹2 crore. Darekar is an MLC from 2016 till date and the document which was submitted showed he is into private business. He is earning 2.5 lakh including all government facilities as a monthly salary,” Shinde has alleged.

A criminal case has been registered against Darekar under sections of 200 (using as true such declaration knowing it to be false), 420 (cheating) 406 (criminal breach of trust), 465 (punishment for forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) 120b (criminal conspiracy) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Darekar was not available for comment. This report will be updated with Darekar’s version when he responds.