Amid trading of charges by the Maha Vikas Aghadi partners and BJP over the corruption issues, the Mumbai police have registered an FIR against the leader of opposition in the state council Pravin Darekar (BJP) in connection with an alleged Mumbai Bank scam case, an official said on Tuesday. The police have filed FIR on a complaint by the Aam Aadmi Party leader Dhananjay Shinde against Darekar under sections of 200 (using as true such declaration knowing it to be false), 420 (cheating) 406 (criminal breach of trust), 465 (punishment for forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) 120b (criminal conspiracy) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Shinde has accused Darekar of using bogus membership of a labour organisation to get directorship at the Mumbai Bank and alleged that there was fraud and irregularities in the bank during his tenure. He further alleged that Darekar, who was the Mumbai Bank Chairman from 2011 to 2021, posed as a labourer which was later found wrong.
Shinde claimed that Darekar did not work as labourers nor did he get any contract for labour supply. Despite that he contested the election for the post of director of the Mumbai Bank for two decades. He said the state cooperative department appointed committee during its probe had detected fraud during an audit.
Shinde said Darekar got himself registered as a labourer in 1997. Thereafter, he won the state assembly elections on the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena ticket in 2009 when he had declared in his nomination papers that he was into a private business.
Darekar has targeted the MVA government saying that FIR has been lodged as a part of revenge politics adding that he would seek redressal from the court. “Action against me is the MVA government’s ‘’decided programme,’’ he claimed. He said the issue was over and he had long ago resigned as a member of the labour organisation.
‘’An FIR filed by the Economic Offence Wing against Mumbai Bank has been re-opened out of political animosity, despite a "C" summary. We are not afraid of such pressure and seek justice from the court,’’ said Darekar.
The police action sparked noisy scenes in the state assembly and council. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Devendra Fadnavis criticised the MVA government for vendetta politics. He sought to know how many members of the legislature were heading labour organisations.
On the other hand, Shiv Sena legislator Manisha Kayande demanded Darekar’s arrest. She said Darekar has lost the moral right of entering the state council after an FIR was lodged against him. In the state council, the opposition strongly condemned the filing of FIR against Darekar.
BJP MLC Bhai Girkar said, "The FIR against Darekar is an attempt to muzzle the voice of the opposition. The MVA government has taken action against him because it is being cornered for its own wrongdoings and various scandals that the BJP is exposing."
However, NCP Chief Spokesman Mahesh Tapase has denied the BJP’s claim of vendetta behind the filing of an FIR lodged against Darekar. NCP youth wing working president Suraj Chavan said the action is appropriate and Darekar should not treat himself above the law. ‘’And you (Darekar) only earlier said that one need not be afraid if he/she has not done anything wrong. Why are you scared now?’’ he asked.
