MARGAO
Leader of the Opposition, Babu Kavlekar's wife Savitri has said the Kavlekars have offered full cooperation to the ACB sleuths in the disproportionate assets case, adding that she cannot say whether any Minister or the ruling dispensation is behind the latest raid cum search of their residence and offices.
While conceding that she is a partner in the property owned by husband Babu, Savitri said she has no knowledge whether she would be summoned for investigations in the case.
She further pointed out that all records pertaining to the Kerala property had been furnished to the investigating agency in the past.
Speaking to the media moments after the ACB sleuths left the bungalow at around 2 pm, Savitri, who is also the South Goa Mahila Congress chief, said the ACB had many times conducted a search of their residence and the family had wholeheartedly cooperated with the agency.
"Since the time the disproportionate case was being investigated since the last seven years, they had conducted search of the house from time to time and we had extended all cooperation. Today, they came again and we cooperation. There was no pressure on us", she said. Savitri pointed out that Babu was called in the past and he has cooperated with the agency.
"Now, they have come again, and we again extended our cooperation," she said, adding that she has no idea whether politics is behind today's raid. Furniture, vehicles and other items were searched and valued, she said adding that nothing was sealed by the investigating agency.
Replying to a question, she said the sleuths searched the residence as well as the Quepem and Margao offices even though the Margao office is yet to be inaugurated till date.
Asked whether she feels that the raid has come because of his status as Leader of the Opposition, Savitri shot back "it's not because of Babu's status as the Opposition leader, but the raid and search operation had been underway since the time he was in the opposition". "I cannot say", she said when the media sought to know whether she suspects the hand of any Minister or BJP leader behind the search operation. When the media pointed out that Babu has issued a statement that he is clean in the matter, Savitri said "we have always cooperated with the agency because we have nothing to hide. They came with search warrants and we cooperated. This has been going on for the last seven years".
