CM used power to favour Axis bank: Petition

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Thursday asked the government of Maharashtra to assist it on a petition against alleged transfer of accounts of police staff and others from public banks to Axis Bank, where the chief minister’s wife holds a senior post.

Activist Mohanish Jabalpure has filed this petition before the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court alleging that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis misused his powers and promoted the leading private sector bank, thereby causing losses to nationalised banks.

A division bench of justices P.N. Deshmukh and Pushpa Ganediwala heard the petition, which claimed the government, through a circular on May 11, 2017, effected transfer of bank accounts of police officials and beneficiaries of the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana to Axis Bank. Wife of Devendra Fadnavis, Amruta Fadnavis, is the vice-president and corporate head (West India) at Axis Bank.

After hearing brief arguments of the petitioner, the court asked the government to study the case documents and assist it on issuance of notices to respondents.

Meanwhile, Mr Jabalpure on Thursday sought to delete the name of Amruta Fadnavis from the list of respondents without giving any reason. The court allowed the petitioner to do so.

The petitioner has requested the court to revoke the government circular and all approvals, agreements, permissions and actions taken in pursuance of it.

He has also sought a high-level probe into the transactions done following the issuance of the circular as well as into the agreement between Axis Bank and state government.