Andheri RTO plot scam: HC refuses to quash FIR against former PWD secy

The Bombay high court (HC) has refused to dismiss a first information report filed against Deodutta Marathe, the retired secretary of the public works department

The Bombay high court (HC) has refused to dismiss a first information report filed against Deodutta Marathe, the retired secretary of the public works department (PWD), in connection with the alleged fraud in implementing a slum rehabilitation scheme on the Andheri regional transport office (RTO) plot and construction of Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi

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A division bench of chief justice BP Dharmadhikari and justice NR Borkar dismissed a petition filed by Marathe seeking to quash the FIR registered against him by the Mumbai anti-corruption bureau (ACB) in June 2015. The ACB has booked Marathe along with several others for fabricating records and twisting facts to extend undue benefits to the developer, M/s KS Chamankar Enterprises.

Marathe was accused of suppressing actual floor space index (FSI) available to the developer and instead showed a lesser FSI, thus causing loss to the government.

However, Marathe’s counsel argued that all the documents relied on as proof showed that he opposed the proposal submitted by M/s Chamankar. His counsel further submitted that despite his opposition, elected office bearers like the then deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal went ahead with the project and as such, the petitioner cannot be blamed in the matter.

Besides, Marathe’s counsel claimed that the proposal was finalised in August 2006, two months after his client had retired from service.

The contentions, however, failed to impress upon the bench and it rejected the petition, saying that there was enough material to try Marathe for the offences charged and the material cannot be examined pre-trial.