Maharashtra's anti-corruption bureau (ACB) has cleared Nationalist Congress Party's leader Ajit Pawar of allegations in an irrigation scam case in an affidavit submitted in the court.

The 16-page affidavit, dated November 27, was submitted at the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court by ACB superintendent Rashmi Nandedkar in which she has observed that there is no criminal liability on the part of the then Chairman of the VIDC (Minister of WRD) in respect of the process of granting sanction.

Minister of Water Resources Department is Ex-Officio Chairman of the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation.

"The payment of EMD amount by the successful bidders for his competitors in some cases, issuing of tender booklets to some non-eligible bidders joint venture firms without following the pre-condition of the tenders etc. But these lapses are on the part of executing agencies of the tender work i.e Engineers, Divisional Accountant and the respective contractors. The Chairman of the VIDC/Minister of WRD cannot be held responsible for executing agencies, as there is no legal duty on his part", the probe agency said in its affidavit.

In its enquiry report, the ACB has also stated that 'There is no evidence on record to say that the Secretary of the Department had briefed the Minister of Water Resources Department about not accepting the liability of the tender work'.

The state anti-corruption bureau has also said that the Chairman of the VIDC has acted in the line with the then prevailing policy of the corporation and in accordance with the proposals put up before him by the Executive Directors on Managing Directors of the VIDC.

In the report filed in the court, the probe agency mentions that "considering the facts and evidence collected during the course of enquiry/investigation, it is observed that there is no criminal liability on the part of the then Chairman of the VIDC (Minister of WRD) in respect of the process of granting sanction to the liability of the tender cost including that of updated cost and sanctioning the mobilization advance to the contractors or any other allegations/charges."

Pawar, who belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), along with others, was in-charge of Maharashtra's irrigation department when the Congress-NCP coalition government was in power in the state from 1999 to 2014. That was a period during which the scam, relating to alleged irregularities in various irrigation projects, took place.&nbsp;

Maharashtra's anti-corruption bureau (ACB) has cleared Nationalist Congress Party's leader Ajit Pawar of allegations in an irrigation scam case in an affidavit submitted in the court.

Maharashtra's anti-corruption bureau (ACB) has cleared Nationalist Congress Party's leader Ajit Pawar of allegations in an irrigation scam case in an affidavit submitted in the court. The 16-page affidavit, dated November 27, was submitted at the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court by ACB superintendent Rashmi Nandedkar in which she has observed that there is no criminal liability on the part of the then Chairman of the VIDC (Minister of WRD) in respect of the process of granting sanction. Minister of Water Resources Department is Ex-Officio Chairman of the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation. "The payment of EMD amount by the successful bidders for his competitors in some cases, issuing of tender booklets to some non-eligible bidders joint venture firms without following the pre-condition of the tenders etc. But these lapses are on the part of executing agencies of the tender work i.e Engineers, Divisional Accountant and the respective contractors. The Chairman of the VIDC/Minister of WRD cannot be held responsible for executing agencies, as there is no legal duty on his part", the probe agency said in its affidavit. In its enquiry report, the ACB has also stated that 'There is no evidence on record to say that the Secretary of the Department had briefed the Minister of Water Resources Department about not accepting the liability of the tender work'. The state anti-corruption bureau has also said that the Chairman of the VIDC has acted in the line with the then prevailing policy of the corporation and in accordance with the proposals put up before him by the Executive Directors on Managing Directors of the VIDC. In the report filed in the court, the probe agency mentions that "considering the facts and evidence collected during the course of enquiry/investigation, it is observed that there is no criminal liability on the part of the then Chairman of the VIDC (Minister of WRD) in respect of the process of granting sanction to the liability of the tender cost including that of updated cost and sanctioning the mobilization advance to the contractors or any other allegations/charges." Pawar, who belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), along with others, was in-charge of Maharashtra's irrigation department when the Congress-NCP coalition government was in power in the state from 1999 to 2014. That was a period during which the scam, relating to alleged irregularities in various irrigation projects, took place.

NCP's Ajit Pawar gets clean-chit from anti-corruption bureau in irrigation scam case

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The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday arrested Vinay Bansal, the son of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's deceased brother-in-law Surendra Kumar Bansal, in connection with alleged irregularities in road and sewer development works by the Public Works Department (PWD).

Bansal was a partner in his father's company Renu Construction, which was involved in the alleged scam.

According to three FIRs registered by the ACB against Kejriwal and others on May 8, 2017, the Delhi Government's PWD committed illegitimate favouritism in awarding a tender to Surendra Kumar Bansal's Renu Construction for road and sewer construction projects.

The complainant, founder of NGO Roads Anti-Corruption Organisation (RACO), Rahul Sharma alleged that the tender was awarded at 46 percent lower than the estimated cost of Rs 4,90,000.

It was also alleged that the product quality was inferior.

The Delhi Police stated that the arrest was made based upon the unsatisfactory answers of the accused during the questioning, regarding Mahadev Company from whom the company claimed to have bought the raw materials.

In the course of the investigation, Mahadev Company was found to be non-existent.

However, the Delhi Government alleged political vendetta behind the arrest, claiming that the construction work undertaken by Bansal's firm was given a clean chit by Sriram Labs, which was directed by the ACB to do the inspection.

It also claimed that a third party certification of the construction was done by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee.&nbsp;

Bansal was a partner in his father's company Renu Construction, which was involved in the alleged scam

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday arrested Vinay Bansal, the son of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's deceased brother-in-law Surendra Kumar Bansal, in connection with alleged irregularities in road and sewer development works by the Public Works Department (PWD). Bansal was a partner in his father's company Renu Construction, which was involved in the alleged scam. According to three FIRs registered by the ACB against Kejriwal and others on May 8, 2017, the Delhi Government's PWD committed illegitimate favouritism in awarding a tender to Surendra Kumar Bansal's Renu Construction for road and sewer construction projects. The complainant, founder of NGO Roads Anti-Corruption Organisation (RACO), Rahul Sharma alleged that the tender was awarded at 46 percent lower than the estimated cost of Rs 4,90,000. It was also alleged that the product quality was inferior. The Delhi Police stated that the arrest was made based upon the unsatisfactory answers of the accused during the questioning, regarding Mahadev Company from whom the company claimed to have bought the raw materials. In the course of the investigation, Mahadev Company was found to be non-existent. However, the Delhi Government alleged political vendetta behind the arrest, claiming that the construction work undertaken by Bansal's firm was given a clean chit by Sriram Labs, which was directed by the ACB to do the inspection. It also claimed that a third party certification of the construction was done by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee.

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The CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala on Tuesday suspended DGP Jacob Thomas, the senior-most IPS officer in the state cadre, for alleged anti-government remarks.

Thomas allegedly made the remarks during a function at Thiruvananthapuram on December 9.&nbsp;

A week-long investigation into the suspended DGP&#39;s remarks on Cyclone Ockhi by the state government concluded that they were &ldquo;prejudicial to the security of the State&rdquo;.

The suspension order was issued following the direction of the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan under the relevant sections of All India Service Rules as some of his recent remarks had shown the state government in poor light.

In its order ((G.O (RT) no: 8044/17/GAD, dated 19/12/2017), the government said that it found that Thomas&#39;s statements at a public meeting at the Press Club on December 9 were &quot;certainly inflammatory in nature&quot;. They were &quot;prima facie aimed to exacerbate such feelings, which could have had serious repercussions on the law and order and peace along the coast&rdquo;.

Thomas &ldquo;had made some blatant and provocative comments against various activities, policy decisions, and functioning of the State Government in power&quot;.&nbsp;

He also accused the government of not &quot;properly handling&quot; the cyclone Ockhi situation.

Stating that all &quot;corrupt forces&quot; were united in the state and were in positions of power, the official said that there was a conscious attempt to silence those who stood against corruption.

&nbsp;However, reacting on his suspension order, Thomas said he had only talked about corruption on the Anti-Corruption Day and that he cannot be silenced with this action.

&nbsp;&quot;There has been a general trend worldwide to silence people when they talk about corruption. But, I am not prepared to remain silent,&quot; he told reporters here.

&quot;I am still swimming with big sharks. In this context, it is normal to face such action. But I will continue to swim,&quot; he added. 
&nbsp; 
Thomas was already facing disciplinary action for penning his bare-all autobiography &quot;Sravukalkkoppam Neenthumpol&quot; (Swimming Along With Sharks), which he wrote without seeking any permission from the prior government.

On International Anti-Corruption Day, DGP Jacob Thomas lashed out at the state government saying there had been a total breakdown of law and order situation in the state

The CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala on Tuesday suspended DGP Jacob Thomas, the senior-most IPS officer in the state cadre, for alleged anti-government remarks. Thomas allegedly made the remarks during a function at Thiruvananthapuram on December 9. A week-long investigation into the suspended DGP's remarks on Cyclone Ockhi by the state government concluded that they were “prejudicial to the security of the State”. The suspension order was issued following the direction of the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan under the relevant sections of All India Service Rules as some of his recent remarks had shown the state government in poor light. In its order ((G.O (RT) no: 8044/17/GAD, dated 19/12/2017), the government said that it found that Thomas's statements at a public meeting at the Press Club on December 9 were "certainly inflammatory in nature". They were "prima facie aimed to exacerbate such feelings, which could have had serious repercussions on the law and order and peace along the coast”. Thomas “had made some blatant and provocative comments against various activities, policy decisions, and functioning of the State Government in power". He also accused the government of not "properly handling" the cyclone Ockhi situation. Stating that all "corrupt forces" were united in the state and were in positions of power, the official said that there was a conscious attempt to silence those who stood against corruption. However, reacting on his suspension order, Thomas said he had only talked about corruption on the Anti-Corruption Day and that he cannot be silenced with this action. "There has been a general trend worldwide to silence people when they talk about corruption. But, I am not prepared to remain silent," he told reporters here. "I am still swimming with big sharks. In this context, it is normal to face such action. But I will continue to swim," he added. Thomas was already facing disciplinary action for penning his bare-all autobiography "Sravukalkkoppam Neenthumpol" (Swimming Along With Sharks), which he wrote without seeking any permission from the prior government.

Kerala suspends top cop for anti-government remarks