The former Congressman is said to have denied his involvement in the infamous Rs 300-odd crore tender scam, during an extensive questioning at the Crime Branch office at Ribandar.
Sources said his fresh signatures were taken to compare with the ones on the tender files even as he conceded that he signed the documents. Officials said that he argued that whatever files were brought before him for signatures, he would do so, not knowing it would result into a scam.
Now, the signature samples are being sent to the forensic laboratory, result of which will scientifically confirm whether the signatures on the tender files and those obtained during the interrogation match.
The Crime Branch has already obtained and is studying 258 files it has seized during the ongoing investigation involving Churchill and retired Executive Engineer P T Parkar. The investigation team has also recorded statements of over 200 witnesses and collected names of over 100 contractors whose testimonies are in the process of being recorded as witnesses in the multi-crore scam.
Sources said that Parkar exposed Churchill’s role in the scam as he alleged in his statement to the Crime Branch that he acted at the behest of the former minister. The case, registered on December 30, 2013, was taking cognizance of a report submitted by anti corruption branch (ACB) confirming that prima facie the duo cheated the State exchequer of approximately Rs 300 crore.
ACB’s inquiry was based on a complaint filed by former National Students Union of India (NSUI) president Sunil Kawthankar (presently Congress secretary) alleging that the former PWD Minister and his men cheated the government of huge amounts of money by illegally awarding 258 tenders in PWD division XXV (roads) alone, each of which cost Rs 5 lakh or more. The complainant had alleged the scam consisted of granting the works to favoured contractors.
The FIR was registered after former Principal Sessions Judge and presently High Court of Bombay Judge Anuja Prabhudesai, in an order on September 19, 2013, directed the Crime Branch to do so.
Parkar had reportedly admitted that he had done so with the written approval of Churchill. The vigilance inquiry which was instituted confirmed the allegations, and transferred the case to Crime Branch for further investigation.
