HC dismisses PIL on Hazare’s trust funds

The Bombay high court on Friday declined to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking investigations into the funds belonging to a trust owned by anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare.

The Bombay high court on Friday declined to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking investigations into the funds belonging to a trust owned by anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare.

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The PIL was filed by Pune-based social activist Hemant Patil, president of the Rashtriya Brashtachar Virodhi Janshakti.

In his petition, Patil claimed that Hazare’s Hind Swaraj Trust had not submitted audit reports for the financial years 2005, 2006 and 2007 to the charity commissioner, which is required under the Bombay Public Trusts Act.

Patil contended that in May 2010, the charity commissioner had issued a show-cause notice to Hind Swaraj Trust but till date, the audited accounts have not been submitted by the trust. He had also alleged that the trustees, including Hazare, were indulging in malpractices and siphoning off the trusts’ funds.

In his petition, Patil had sought directions from the court, so that the income-tax department and the charity commissioner initiate a probe into the funds of Hind Swaraj Trust and initiate necessary action against Hazare for failing to comply with mandatory statutory provisions.

The division bench of justice DD Sinha and justice VK Tahilramani dismissed the PIL because Patil had approached the court without first approaching the charity commissioner.