According to the news published by The Tribune India, Goa police anti corruption bureau has decided to rope in a Chartered Accountant (CA) to calculate the total assets of Congress legislator Chandrakant Kavlekar who is under the scanner for allegedly having disproportionate wealth. Babu Kavlekar has been in the news since 2013 when the news about his involvement in corrupt activities has first been published in INGOA news channel.
According to the story, “After obtaining information from the Joint Chief Electoral Officer, Altinho Panaji Goa it is suspected that, Shri. Chandrakant @ Babu Kavlekar, present M.L.A Quepem constituency who served as the then Chairman Goa IDC, Patto Panaji for the period from 02/03/2005 to 07/04/2005, 28/06/2007 to 10/02/2012 and 19/07/2005 to 13/05/2007, wherein the total tenure comes to nearly 6 ½ years has amassed wealth through corrupt means from unknown sources whereby he has invested / utilized Rs. 5,54,56,251/- (Rupees Five Crores Fifty Four Lakhs Fifty Six Thousand Two Hundred Fifty One Only) towards purchase of immovable properties in the state of Kerala”. The asset is valued at 32 crore now.
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/idJjdZRAKB0″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrJhqxYRJBU&channel=ChennaiExp2013 [/su_youtube]
Another story published by The Goa written by their former Editor in Chief, Sujay Gupta with the title Nailing Babu Kavlekar is critical to our fight against corruption “Chandrakant Babu Kavlekar is a man of many parts. One, an ostensible crusader for the downtrodden Dhangars in their fight for economic and social up-liftment, Two, a veteran MLA who managed to win on a Congress ticket, when kingpins in South Goa tumbled to the force of unbridled public anger at Congress’ corruption. Three, a deft survivor, who managed to dip underwater into the ocean of irregularities, as the waves threatened to consume his officials and subordinates in the Goa Industrial Development Corporation, the sanctum sanctorum of Babu’s misdeeds but there is one part about the Quepem MLA, which is not visible to the naked eye. Beneath the omnipresent smile, bordering on a wicked laugh, lurks a vengeful and angry mind. Vengeful against those who have dared to look at his role as the Chairman of GIDC from 2005 to 2012 with a total gap of four months across small breaks of tenure. These seven years is an unadulterated saga of illegalities and obvious indication of corruption, enough to warrant the Anti Corruption Bureau to register a Preliminary Enquiry against him, a precursor to the formal registration of the offence”.
According to the story published in 2013 again by The Goan under the title Babu’s 32.5 crore Kerala plantation “This proof is definitive, While Anti-Corruption Bureau has been tracking Quepem MLA Chandrakant alias Babu Kavlekar’s assets in the disproportionate assets case, The Goan joined the ACB’s investigation and travelled to Kerala where Babu’s company Vrushal Estate and Development Pvt Ltd has bought a 61.02 acre rubber plantation at Koonamala Koonamkara in Perunad Village, under Pathanamthitta District in Kerala. The rubber plantation, valued at over Rs 32.5 crores at currently prevailing market rates, is not only situated in India’s biggest rubber growing region, but also situated in the same village as the famed Sabarimala Temple, as well as Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary”.
Although the Congress claimed the case is “Politically Fabricated” but then this was the story of 2013 following to which there was a long silence as there were many other things going on but now after almost 2.5 years the ACB has once again decided to dig into the investigation “We have received detailed evaluation of Kavlekar’s properties, including his bungalow in South Goa and land purchased in Kerala. The state Public Works Department has already evaluated cost of his bungalow,” Superintendent of Police (ACB) Bosco George told PTI. A Chartered Accountant would be empanelled to find out the total assets owned by the legislator and whether they are disproportionate to his known source of income, George said.
The ACB is conducting a preliminary inquiry into his income and whether it was gained during his service as a public servant (when he was heading the IDC), the SP said. In 2012, the Goa Police had filed a case against Kavlekar under various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act, taking suo moto cognizance of some media reports alleging his involvement in illegal allotment of plots. And in the investigation it investigations had also revealed that Kavlekar owned a plantation worth Rs 32.5 crore in Kerala.
Now the ACB seems to have becoming stronger by the day and they are taking on the cases up rampantly, the future of the so called corrupt politicians and bureaucrats will not be safe anymore. Although there are allegations and counter allegations when ACB strikes but that is the part of the game, or so called blame game? Nevertheless, after the Louis Berger case ACB seems to have respired new life. They have managed to nab many corrupt people in a very short span of time. But what do you think? Is ACB doing their job or as alleged by the opposition it is “Politically Fabricated”? Please do not forget to leave your comments and suggestions on this issue.
Source: PTI
Edited by: Goa Prism News Desk
