The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday informed the Bombay High Court that it had written to the State Government, seeking
permission to hold an "open inquiry" into the alleged multi-hundred crore scam involving the tending process of Kharghar toll collection centre Sion-Panvel highway. In an affidavit filed before the a HC division Bench headed by Justice RV More, Bhagwat Sonawane,
Deputy Superintendent of Police, ACB, stated that his department had written two letters to the State
Additional Secretary (Home) - once on September 19 and December 26 last year -- seeking an "open inquiry" into the allegations of corruption in the Kharghar toll collection centre tendering process.
"The construction of the highway, the toll collection etc are connected with the state PWD, MSRDC and other private and Government agencies. Also, the process of tendering, construction and so on involved highly technical issues, hence an open inquiry is necessary before appropriate action is taken against persons involved, if any," Sonawane stated in his affidavit.
Hearing an application made by activist Pravin Wategaonkar, the HC division bench had last month directed the State ACB to look into the alleged scam and file an affidavit in the case.
In his petition, Wategaonkar had alleged willful acts of omission by the PWD officials in the tendering process and sought direction to the State to look into the matter. The HC division bench, headed by Justice More, will hear the matter on Friday.
In his application, Wategaonkar has alleged that the Pune-based Kakade Infrastructure Pvt. ltd, which was ineligible for entering into the bidding process, had got into joint venture arrangement with M/s IVRCl - a Hyderabad based company, and won the bid.