The investigation into the scam in Kolhapur DistrictCooperative Credit Society can open a can worms, as notices have been issued tosome high profile personalities, including ministers.
The State government has appointed the Ranjan LakheCommittee to investigate into the misappropriation of crores of rupee in theKolhapur District Cooperative Credit-Society (KDCC).
The investigation committee has served notices to some notedpersonalities including Member of Parliament, Sadashivram Mandlik, LabourMinister, Hasan Mushriff, Home Minister for State, Satej Patil and MLA, MahadevMahadik along with all the board of directors during the tenure from 2001 “2006.
Right from the chairman to the watchman of the bank has beenissued notices.
The Ranjan Lakhe Committee is investigating into the scamsof KDCC’s Kagal, Nigveduma and Lingnur Kapshi branch.
The committee will be looking into unnecessary waste ofmoney on superfluous appointments, besides using rented premises when society’spremises were available for banking purpose.
Even day to day transactions and deposits will becrosschecked, as there are indications that controversial transactions havetaken place while issuing loans and receiving deposits in these branches.
The daily deposits were also not spared, as investigationauthorities smell a rat that daily deposits were manipulated on the lower side.That is one of the reasons why the peon, watchman and even the chairman havebeen summoned by the investigating committee.
The then investigation officer, Ramesh Shingte had pointedout to loss to KDCC of crores of rupees. Shingte had implicated some members ofthe Board of Directors for causing the fraud and therefore recommended inquiryunder section 154 of the Cooperative Act 1961, but the then cooperativeminister had scrapped the report and asked for reinvestigation of the case.
The same case was handled by three inquiry officers beforethe investigation was presently handed over to Ranjan Lakhe.
Lakhe is given four months time to complete theinvestigation.
Soon after Lakhe took over the investigation many highprofile names have been revealed in the initial investigation.
Notices have also been served to former MP, Nivedita Mane,Congress district president P N Patil, MLA, K P Patil, ex-MLA, Narsinh Patil,Vitthalrao Naik-Nimbalkar, Dr Sanjay Patil, Bhaiyyasaheb Kupekar, ex-ministerPrakash Aavade, Mansingh Gayakwad, Rajlaxmi Khanvilkar, Ashok Jamble,Bhagvanrao Sarnobat.
