Hazare objects to special prosecutor in Jalgaon housing scam

Social activist Anna Hazare on Tuesday criticised the Maharashtra government's decision to appoint a new special public prosecutor to handle appeals in the Gharkul housing scam case.

Two former ministers, Suresh Jain and Gulabrao Deokar, were sentenced to seven years in jail by the Dhule district court in the case on August 31.

In the trial court, advocate Pravin Chavan had handled the prosecution. The BJP-led state government has appointed Amol Savant as special prosecutor to argue against the appeals filed by some of the convicts in the Bombay High Court.

Speaking to reporters at Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district, Hazare, who had launched an agitation in the past seeking probe of the scam, claimed that due procedure was not followed while appointing Savant.

Chavan had done a good job as prosecutor, and he should continue in the HC, he demanded.

Savant had assisted a senior lawyer who is now representing the convicts before the high court, thus he had an indirect link with the convivts, Hazare alleged.

He had spoken to Fadnavis on September 5 and the chief minister agreed with his view, but still went on to appoint Savant, the octogenarian activist said.

Hazare also shared copies of a letter he had written to the chief minister on the issue two days ago.

The scam pertained to irregularities in contracts given by the Jalgaon Municipal Corporation to construct 11,000 low-cost houses in 1996.