Kondhane dam scam: ACB files charge sheet against 7 accused

The Thane unit of the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) today filed a 3,000-page charge sheet against seven accused, including six former irrigation department officials, in the multi-crore Kondhane dam scam.
The anti-graft agency said it filed the charge sheet in the special ACB court of V V Bambarde.
The charge sheet was filed against contractor Nissar Khatri of FA Enterprises and FA Constructions and six former officials of Konkan Irrigation Development Corporation (KIDC)-- the then executive director Devendra Shirke, then chief engineers B B Patil and P B Sonawane, then superintending engineer R D Shinde, then executive engineers A P Kaluke and Rajesh Rithe, an official release by the ACB stated here today.

The release said the government had ordered an inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the construction of the dam on Ulhas river at Karjat in the adjoining district.
The ACB had set up a special investigation team (SIT), which carried out an open inquiry. An FIR had been filed in Kopri police station in Thane in September last year.
During the probe, it came to light that administrative approval for the project was granted on May 19, 2011, but it was later put on hold by the government.
Despite the plan being put on hold, the KIDC called for tenders in the same year. FA Enterprises was not eligible to get the contract, but the government officials favoured the firm and tasked it with constructing the dam, the ACB had earlier said.

The accused officials, without obtaining permission from the government, allegedly inflated the project cost to Rs 271 crore. The officials connected with the project deliberately favoured the contractor and caused losses to KIDC and the government, the ACB had said.