Disproportionate Asset Case: Thane Court rejects bail plea of ex-BJP MLA Narendra Mehta

In yet another major setback to former BJP legislator-Narendra Mehta, the district and session’s court, Thane has rejected his pre-arrest bail application on Wednesday. The Thane unit of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had filed an FIR (387/2022) at the Navghar police station in Bhayandar (east) against him on charges of amassing disproportionate assets of more than Rs. 8.25 crore.

An offence under sections 13 (1) (d), 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and section 109 of the Indian Penal Code read with section 438 of the CrPC has been registered against the former legislator, while his wife Suman has also been booked for abetting the crime. The action followed after a complaint was registered with the Lokayukt who directed the ACB to conduct an open probe into the matter in 2016. After extended delays the FIR was finally registered at the Navghar police station on 19, May, 2022. The former legislator had earlier managed to procure an interim relief from the Mumbai High Court.

However, on Wednesday the matter came for hearing before the court of district judge-4 addl. sessions judge, Thane and the pre-arrest bail application was rejected.

According to the ACB officials, the investigations and search operations had revealed that the legislator amassed disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs. 8,25,51,772 which is well above his known source of income between 1, January-2006 to 31, August-2015 during which he served as a corporator and mayor in the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation and was later elected as legislator from the Mira-Bhayandar (145) assembly constituency by defeating his NCP rival in 2014. However, he lost to his party rebel -Geeta Jain (independent) in the 2019 assembly elections.