ACB slaps disproportionate assets case on Bhujbal

The Anti-Corruption Bureau on Thursday registered a disproportionate assets against former deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal. The fresh FIR also includes the names his wife Meena Bhujbal, his son MLA Pankaj Bhujbal and his nephew Sameer Bhujbal.

Besides the above-mentioned persons, the ACB has also named Pankaj’s wife Vishakha Bhujbal, their chartered accountant Sunil Naik, businessmen Pravinkumar Jain and financial advisor Sanjeev Jain and three others in the FIR.

The ACB had previously in June 2015 registered two FIRs against Bhujbal alleging irregularities in the allotment of a prime plot in Kalina and corruption in the construction of the Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi. Bhujbal, who was arrested, is currently lodged in Arthur road Jail. The ACB in a statement informed that the case was regarding assets acquired by Bhujbal and his wife Meena from April 1999 to September 2014. “The legal income shown by him has been 'One crore 49 lakhs and 65 thousand. But his actual assets are 32 per cent more than the legally declared amount,” the ACB stated.

It further added that that Bhujbal, along with Pankaj, Sameer and Naik illegally acquired properties. “Property worth '203 crores and 24 lakhs was acquired by him and the other accused mainly Pankaj and Sameer. He did this by using bogus means of selling shares in companies that were owned by him and other accused,” it stated.

MLA Pankaj Bhujbal along with his wife Vishakha jointly acquired property worth 'One crore 26 lakhs and 37 thousand, it said. “This property is 45 per cent more than their legal and declared income,” it stated.

The ACB has registered cases against all the 12 accused under section 13 (1) (E) and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.