Maharashtra Sadan ‘scam’: No evidence against Bhujbals, says court

Mumbai, September 24

There was no “substantial material” to suggest that ex-Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal and his kin got any kind of “illegal gratification” in the contract for the  a new Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi, a special court has said in its ruling.

The special court for Anti-Corruption Bureau cases here discharged the senior NCP leader and seven others in a case related to alleged corruption in the construction of Maharashtra Sadan earlier this month.

Besides Chhagan Bhujbal (73), the court discharged his son Pankaj, nephew Sameer and five others. The detailed order became available on Friday.

The ACB, which probed the case, had alleged that Bhujbal and his family members received kickbacks from the construction firm K S Chamankar Enterprises which got the contract to build the new guest house of the state government in the national capital.

Chamankar Enterprises transferred money to Niche Infrastructure and other companies in which Pankaj and Sameer Bhujbal were directors, the ACB had alleged.

Special Judge H S Sathbhai held that evidence indicated that no illegality was committed in awarding  the contract to Chamankar Enterprises and no illegal gratification/ kickback/quid pro quo was given by the developer to Chhagan Bhujbal.

The contract had been given by the state government in 2005-2006 when the NCP leader was PWD minister.

“The material on record is not satisfactory and substantial to even suggest that Chhagan Bhujbal got any illegal gratification in any kind directly or indirectly,” the court added.

The ACB had alleged that the contractor “earned 80 per cent profit” in the construction against the government norm which allowed only 20 per cent margin. 

The Bhujbals got Rs 13.5 crore in kickbacks from the firm which earned a profit of about Rs 190 crore, the state agency had alleged.

But the court said there was no evidence to show that an amount of Rs 13.5 crore was transferred by Chamankar Enterprises to any other firm for passing it on to the Bhujbals. PTI