Mah ACB parries RTI queries on special treatment to Ajit Pawar

An RTI activist has slammed the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which is probing graft charges against Ajit Pawar, for not replying to his query that on what basis it spared the senior NCP leader from personal appearance for investigations in the case.
When Jeetendra Ghadge filed an RTI query with the probe agency to know under which law Pawar was granted the liberty to file a written reply, he received four intimations on various occasions within a month informing him about his queries being transferred within three ACB divisions.
The ACB is probing graft charges against Pawar for his alleged role in the irrigation scam.

Ghadge had filed his set of queries on June 15, 2015 with Mumbai Division of ACB seeking details including whether Pawar had sought exemption from personal appearance.
To which, he received his first intimation on June 23 from Mumbai Division which stated that his queries pertained to Maharashtra division and hence it was being transferred.
Again on June 26, Maharashtra division informed Ghadge that his query was being transferred to Thane division as it had registered the case.

On July 2, Thane division returned the RTI query to Maharashtra division saying that the information did not relate to this division.

However, on July 9, Maharashtra Division again returned the RTI query to Thane division stating that case was registered with Thane division.
Ghadge, who has exposed irregularities in the irrigation scams through his RTIs, said, "This kind of unprofessional behaviour from ACB is not surprising and I will continue to raise such queries unless ACB is made an autonomous agency."
Alleging that Ajit Pawar was getting "special treatment" from ACB, Ghadge said, "the way ACB has been over sympathetic to Ajit Pawar on the behest of his political ring masters, it proves that neither government nor agency has the intention to convict the accused in the scam."

When contacted, Pravin Dixit, Director General of ACB, said, "The charges against the accused were voluminous in nature, hence we compiled a set of questionnaire and gave it to him (Ajit). When we will get a reply, we will cross examine it, then call the accused (for interrogation) as and when the need be. There is no question of going soft on the accused. We work to satisfy the court of law," he added.