23 Mar 2017 | 07:21pm IST
Past haunts Babu, in new present, as old corruption complaint fast-tracked by ACB
Preliminary enquiry in disproportionate assets case expedited; investigations unearth undeclared property
PANJIM: Getting elected as Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader may not be auspicious for Quepem MLA Chandrakant (Babu) Kavalekar, as the government has asked that the preliminary enquiry (PE) into the disproportionate assets case registered against him in 2012 be expedited.
The initial complaint was registered after an ACB team found that Kavlekar had bought huge trackts of land in rural Kerala, which were not declared in any affidavit or returns.
Sources at the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) said that the PE, which was in cold storage for the last four years will now be moved to the hot stove.
Soon after he was sworn in as Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar sought a status report on the case from ACB, which was submitted within an hour.
The investigation was at a halt for want of a sanction of a chartered account (CA) and pending copies of an English translation of the Malayalam documents from Kerala. The government recently approved the sanction of a CA to Vigilance Department, and copies of the translation are ready but ACB is yet to receive them.According to ACB officials, Kavalekar may get a clean chit in the purchase of the huge property at Pathanamthitta, Kerala, but in the course of investigation undeclared property has been revealed.
It is learnt that ACB has sought details from the Goa Lokayukta and Chief Electoral Officer of the assets declared by Kavalekar. However, sources confirmed that Kavalekar has not declared all his assets in the affidavit with the Election Commission.ACB in April 2013 had charged Kavalekar with amassing wealth over Rs 5.5 crore while he served as GIDC (Goa Industrial Development Corporation) Chairman from 2005-12 and it is alleged that it was invested in land in Kerala.
The case was booked based on information received from the Joint Chief Electoral Officer in Goa. ACB is yet to register an FIR against MLA as the PE is in process.In the absence of a Police Inspector who was recently transferred due to the Assembly elections, the case is now being handled by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Bossuet Silva.
An ACB team has already collected vital evidence and assets which Kavalekar had secured when he was GIDC chairman. Public Works Department (PWD), which was evaluating Kavalekar’s residential bungalow at Betul plateau, has estimated it to be worth Rs 1.38 crore.
Kavalekar is also allegedly linked to the IDC plot scam case which is being probed by ACB in which other Congressmen are also allegedly linked.
