The Anti-Corruption Bureau has finally registered an FIR against Leader of the Opposition and Quepem MLA Babu Kavlekar and his wife Savitri. Political circles and social media went abuzz throwing only two questions: Is the FIR against the Kavlekars politically motivated and is the government trying to silence the Leader of the Opposition? While Kavlekar and his wife quickly responded ruling out any political motive, Congress party president Shantaram Naik opined that this is a move to weaken the party and force their MLAs to join the BJP.
According to ACB Superintendent of Police Bosco George, the disproportionate assets could go beyond 200 per cent, while Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar feels it could touch 500 per cent. Kavlekar was the GIDC chairman for three tenures spanning across six-and-half years. He occupied the hot seat from March 2, 2005 to April 7 2005. The second term was from July 19 2005 to May 30 2007 while the third term was from June 28, 2007 to February 10, 2012.
It would be interesting to know why it took a staggering almost six years to register an FIR. If there were discrepancies in Kavlekar's disclosures, what stopped them from going ahead with the FIR. The premise that translation of property papers took time cannot be accepted since it's been over half-a-decade since the discrepancies were detected. How can this delay be accepted when the government could successfully get a 23-page document of Lucky Farmhouse predominantly written in Swedish translated in less than two years, that too when another country is involved.
There is another strange contradiction in the case. Kavlekar and his wife have come on record saying that they have been cooperating with the ACB sleuths and have furnished relevant documents from time to time. Kavlekar claims he will account for everything and that there is nothing disproportionate. His wife Savitri has told the media that these raids and ‘stock-taking' has been going on for the past seven years. However, the SP seems to be unconvinced and claimed that if Kavlekar is not forthcoming in his replies, an arrest is imminent.
How long is it going to take the ACB sleuths to make up their minds? There's no denying the fact that Kavlekar needs to be investigated given the material on record. The sleuths have every authority and right to raid and search his residences and offices from time to time. But what cannot be justified is the manner in which it is being done. Probes into such kinds of charges cannot go on endlessly. Looks like the long arm of law is going in ultra slow motion in this case.
