HC reserves order on PIL seeking CBI probe into transactions

The Bombay High Court today reserved its order on a PIL seeking a CBI probe into alleged financial transactions between suspended deputy collector Nitish Thakur and Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Ltd.
The order was reserved by a bench headed by Justice P V Hardas after the arguments concluded in this matter.
The PIL, filed by former scribe Ketan Tirodkar, alleged there were financial transactions between the two parties which needed to be probed.
The petition annexed an Income Tax report which alleged that Shapoorji Pallonji and Thakur were "lying" to Income Tax authorities about payments worth over Rs 75 crores made by the former to the latter.

The petition also enclosed copies of bank statements of accounts operated by Thakur which reflected payments of around Rs 298 crore by Shapoorji Pallonji and Co to Thakur and others.
The PIL further attached a remand application of anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) which alleged that Thakur had received Rs 146 crores from the leading construction firm.

Thakur was arrested by ACB in an alleged disproportionate assets case. However, he jumped bail and is currently not traceable, the PIL said.
The PIL argued that while Thakur had been questioned by authorities, officers of the respondent company had not been interrogated on alleged financial transactions.

Prosecutor Aruna Kamat-Pai submitted that Income-Tax, ACB and Enforcement Directorate (ED) were coordinating the probe although it was not a joint investigation.
She said the probe was progressing slowly because Shapoorji Pallonji Co and its associate companies were not cooperating. She urged the court to direct the respondents to cooperate but the judges refrained from doing so.
On last occasion, the court had taken on record case diaries in the case registered by ACB in Alibaug taluka of Raigad district against Thakur. The diaries have since been perused by the bench.