Will finish enquiry against Gavit in 2 months: ACB assures HC

Maharashtra ACB on Monday assured the HC that the open enquiry into the alleged disproportionate assets case against former Maharashtra minister Vijaykumar Gavit and his family will be completed within two months.

Maharashtra anti-corruption bureau (ACB) on Monday assured the Bombay high court that the open enquiry into the alleged disproportionate assets case against former Maharashtra minister Vijaykumar Gavit and his family will be completed within two months.

Assistant government pleader Sameer Patil informed the division bench of justice Abhay Oka and justice AK Menon that the open enquiry will be completed within two months. Accordingly, the bench asked ACB to file its report by March 20, adjourning the hearing to March 24.

Patil informed the court that after completing the open enquiry, the ACB sleuths will segregate the income and assets year-wise, in order to find out if the former NCP minister and his relatives accumulated wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income or not.

The court was hearing public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a Nasik based farmer, Vishnu Musale alleging that the former state minister and his brother, Sharad had acquired huge amount of disproportionate wealth.

The court was earlier told that the home department had cleared a proposal submitted by the ACB seeking permission to prosecute the former minister.

The PIL said that the information obtained through the RTI act showed Gavit having personal assets worth Rs. 1.3 crore, and his family's assets (in the name of his wife and daughters) were worth Rs. 1.5 crore. According to the nomination papers filed by Gavit in 2009, his assets were worth Rs. 2.23 crore and the family's assets were worth Rs. 4.78 crore.

Gavit, a senior NCP leader, was sacked from the previous state cabinet after his daughter Heena accepted Lok Sabha ticket from BJP last year. He is now a BJP MLA.