Team Herald
PANJIM: Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) on Friday quizzed Leader of the Opposition Chandrakant (Babu) Kavlekar in connection with its probe into disproportionate assets worth over Rs 4.78 crore. He appeared before the investigation team at around noon and was questioned for around three hours in the office of ACB/Vigilance Department, Altinho.
Emerging from the office, Kavlekar told Herald that he is cooperating with the investigation and will continue to do so. “For the last 5-6 years, the investigation is underway and I have always been cooperating with the Investigating Agency. I will continue to cooperate in all possible way,” he said. Asked if he has been called for questioning again, the Congress MLA said the ACB team informed him that he will be summoned and that he assured them to remain present.
Herald spoke to ACB SP Priyanka Kashyap, who said they will decide about his further summons.
The Congress MLA was granted interim anticipatory bail by Margao Special Court on Thursday after which he was served a second summons to appear for questioning on Friday. Kavlekar had skipped the earlier summons citing that he was busy preparing for the Assembly session scheduled to commence on February 19, and had sought exemption till March 21.
After five years of thorough enquiry, ACB in September last had registered a case against Kavlekar, former Chairman of Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) for amassing huge wealth disproportionate to his income. His wife Savitri was also booked for abetment. Asked if Savitri would also be questioned, Kashyap said, “If required we will call her.”
The FIR registered under Section 13(2) read with 13(1) (e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act was followed by raids at the MLA’s house at Betul and office; besides his office in Margao. The ACB inquiry had revealed that the couple allegedly amassed disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 4,78,58,471 – around 59.21 percent above their known source of income during the period from January 2007 to April 2013. The case refers to the alleged illegal property at Pathanamthitta, Kerala.
