In order to placate the Opposition, which was demanding registration of an FIR against Irrigation Minister Sunil Tatkare, the Maharashtra Government said it would first verify the allegations.
Home Minister R R Patil told the state Assembly on Friday that the allegations against Tatkare would be first verified by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW). He added that the decision to register the FIR against Tatkare would be taken after the police concludes its findings. The issue was raised in the Assembly by BJP legislator Devendra Phadnavis.
Tatkare, who belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has been facing a barrage of allegations on amassing wealth by misusing his position as a minister. The BJP, along with other political parties, has been aggressively making allegations against Tatkare and demanding a probe similar to what Congress leader Kripashankar Singh is facing.
“This is a farce. The EOW, which would verify the allegations against Tatkare, is under NCP minister Patil, the same party to which Tatkare belongs to. We are not expecting anything worthwhile to come out of this exercise,” said petitioner Rajendra Phanse, who had unsuccessfully petitioned the HC seeking a probe against Tatkare on the lines of Kripashankar.
Previously BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had alleged that Tatkare had registered as many as 100 companies in the name of 10 persons, including a gardener, a clerk working under him. Tatkare and his family members, through stakes in private firms, own over 1,000 acres of agriculture land in Maharashtra and Goa.
Giving an example of how Tatkare made his millions, Somaiya said Next Technologies, in which Tatkare had stakes, sold 1.90 lakh shares at `400 each to non-existent shareholders and later bought them at `10 each. Somaiya said Tatkare earned `8.5 crore through this deal.