MUMBAI: BJP Maharashtra vice president Chitra Wagh's husband Kishor Wagh has come under the Anti-Corruption Bureau's (ACB) scanner in connection with a 2016 corruption case.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau has lodged an FIR against Chitra Wagh's husband for amassing disproportionate assets. The case has been registered against Kishor Wagh, who was an employee of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital, under Section 13(2) in The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, section 13 (2) and 13 (1) E.
As per this section, any public servant who commits criminal misconduct shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term that shall be not less than one year but which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to a fine.
"The income of the Wagh family is 90 per cent more than their actual income. Besides, Mr Wagh had not sought the government permission while flying to Dubai and he has not also filed his income details with the government department that is mandatory," an open inquiry by ACB revealed.
Ms Wagh reacting to the allegations said her husband is innocent and he was wrongly framed in this case. She insisted that her husband had not taken a single penny.
"There are several cases which are pending with the ACB but they do not have time for the inquiry. The home department is after my husband. When I was in NCP and the BJP government had framed the charges that time our party leader Sharad Pawar checked the details and told me there was nothing serious there. My husband is innocent, Pawar told me," claimed Chitra Wagh.
Senior BJP leaders including the Leader of Opposition, Legislative Council Pravin Darekar and senior BJP leader Ashish Shelar came out in support of Chitra Wagh.
Ashish Shelar said Chitra Wagh has been fighting for the justice of deceased Tiktok star Pooja Chavan against Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Rathod and this had led to her being deliberately targeted by the Maha Vikasa Aghadi government.
Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant though pointed out that the case against Chitra Wagh husband was registered during BJP chief minister Devendra Fadnavis time in 2016.
"Mr Fadnavis it was who moved this matter to ACB for open inquiry. Meanwhile, Ms Wagh left the NCP and joined the BJP. Then due to the pandemic situation, the inquiry by ACB was not completed. Now, it has been done and FIR has been file against Mr Wagh," clarified Sawant.