PANAJI
The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Vigilance Department is set to file an FIR against Opposition Leader and Quepem's Congress MLA Chandrakant (Babu) Kavlekar in connection with his alleged disproportionate assets, with the chief secretary approving a further probe in the case.
The ACB had submitted its report on the preliminary inquiry to the government and were awaiting directives in the matter.
After going through the report, Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma recommended a further probe in the matter.
Sources said Sharma had put a noting in the file to inquire about information provided by Kavlekar to the Election Commission regarding his assets while he had filed his nomination to Quepem constituency and to compare it with the findings of the ACB, to verify if there were any discrepancies.
When contacted, Sharma confirmed to The Goan that he suggested an inquiry in the alleged disproportionate assets case against Kavlekar.
"I have recommended an inquiry in the case, since the documents presented to the Election Commission and documents with the investigating system need to be verified," said Sharma.
Armed with the chief secretary's noting in the file, sources told The Goan that the ACB is ready with an FIR against Kavlekar and could file it at at time.
When contacted, ACB Superintendent of Police Bosco George said the ACB would go ahead with its investigations, after receiving written instruction from the chief secretary.
"Further details will be revealed on Saturday," said SP George, but declined to provide further details on their course of action on Saturday.
The ACB has been awaiting a government nod to pursue further action against Kavlekar, after it had conducted a preliminary inquiry against him in 2013, in connection with disproportionate assets beyond his known source of income.
As part of its investigations, the ACB had collected details and valuations of Kavlekar's movable and immovable assets, which included a property valued at crores of rupees in Kerala.
The case in question revolves around the Rs 32 crore property that Kavlekar purchased in Kerala but failed to declare before the Election Commission in his affidavit filed for the March 2012 assembly polls. The Quepem MLA had purchased property in Perunad village in Kerala, between the year 2010 and 2011 admeasuring 61.01 acres in the name of his company, Vrushal Estate and Development Pvt Ltd. The property was valued at Rs 5.80 crore but the actual market value of the property was Rs 32 crore.
