Mumbai: Members of Sajag Nagrik Manch (SNM), a Pune-based society, wrote to the CM demanding that the investigation report on Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) MD, Radhe-shyam Mopalwar, be made available to the public.
Vivek Velankar and Vishwas Sahasrabuddhe of SNM wrote, “The Johny Joseph committee has given a clean chit to Mr Mopalwar. We read it in the news. But please put up this report on the government website. People should know what kind of investigation took place.”
Meanwhile, opposition parties have called the investigation report a “farce”. Opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said, “There was no free and fair investigation into the matter. Mr Mopalwar is a favorite officer of this government. It was expected to happen.”
In the letter to the CM, the SNM members wrote, “There is a clause 4 under sub-clause C in the Right to Information Act, where an inquiry into such a case would be made public.”
When asked about the letter, Mr Velankar said, “Actually, the investigation should have been conducted by a retired magistrate. Bureaucrats cannot carry out a free and fair investigation.”
Mr Velankar also questioned the reinstatement of Mr Mopalwar to the post. “Isn’t there any other capable officer with the state?” he asked.
Not just civil activists, but opposition parties too have raised questions over the clean chit. “This has exposed the CM’s will to fight corruption. Now people are realising that the state is with corrupt officers,” said Mr Vikhe-Patil.
