Wadhawans booked for defying lockdown

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, April 10

Tainted businessmen Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan of Dewan Housing Finance Ltd (DHFL) and 21 others, including their family members, have been booked for travelling to a hill station in violation of prohibitory orders during the lockdown.

Wadhawan family members along with others were detained by civic officials on Thursday from their Diwan Villa farm house in Mahabaleshwar, a popular hill station located more than 300 km from Mumbai, an official said.

Though the lockdown is in force, all 23 persons had travelled from Khandala to Mahabaleshwar on Wednesday evening in their five luxury cars despite Pune and Satara districts being sealed to contain the viral infection, he said.

Their travel to a farmhouse at Mahabaleshwar, 185 km from Khandala, was facilitated by Principal Secretary in the Home Department Amitabh Gupta who issued a letter on his official letter-head stating that they had to go to Mahabaleshwar due to a “family emergency”.

As Satara District Collector’s prohibitory orders restricted anyone from visiting the hill station, the Prant officer of Wai lodged a complaint against them at the Mahabaleshwar police station. According to the complaint, the Wadhawan family had no medical or family emergency to visit the place and they had not obtained any permission in this regard.

While all 23 persons who came to Mahabaleshwar have been sent to a quarantine facility by Satara authorities, Gupta has been sent on compulsory leave and a probe has been initiated against him. Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate today issued seizure orders for the five vehicles used by the Wadhawans to travel to their farmhouse.

SPL Principal Secy faces probe

Maharashtra Government has sent Special Principal Secretary in the Home Department Amitabh Gupta on compulsory leave and initiated a probe against him for facilitating the Mahabaleshwar trip of the DHFL promoters.

Don’t release them, says CBI

The CBI has asked Satara authorities not to release Wadhawan brothers from quarantine facility without its approval as they face non-bailable warrants in the Yes Bank fraud case.