PIL filed against former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and family.
By The Space
A PIL has been filed against Shiv Sena president and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, his wife Rashmi Thackeray & sons Aaditya and Tejas in the Bombay High Court seeking an ED, CBI investigation into alleged disproportionate assets held by his wife Rashmi Thackeray and sons Aaditya and Tejas reported news Agency ANI.
The matter was adjourned by the bench of Justices Sanjay Gangapurwala and RN Laddha to November 16, for removal of office objections.
"Once the matter is ready we will consider it. First remove the office objections, then we will hear it," it said.
The PIL has been registered by Dadar residents, Gouri Bhide and her father Abhay Bhide whose families briefly published the weekly of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray during the Emergency.
Reportedly, the PIL raises questions regarding land plots allotment by the Maharashtra Government owned CIDCO for trust Prabodhan Prakashan (Owner and publishers of Saamna newspaper).
The plea alleges that the shareholding of the trust was changed favouring the Thackerays and now it is owned by them. It further stated that during the Covid-19 lockdown, Thackeray's company Prabodhan Prakashan Pvt. Ltd showed "brilliant performance" of Rs 42 crore turnover and Rs 11.5 crore profit.
The petitioners call this a "clear case" of black money being converted to white money or legally achieved money through the help of Prabodhan Publications.
"It seems it's a clear case of turning the black money into white one. The unaccounted money gathered from BMC and other sources might have been dishonestly digested (sic) into the accounts of the above-mentioned company and fictitious figures of profit have been shown for this digestion. This is not just a guess or baseless allegation. The statement of accounts of these companies will clearly reveal the fact. These assets are mainly benami transactions," her petition adds.
According to the petitioners, the Thackerays have never disclosed "particular service, profession and business as their official source of income." And yet they have "huge properties in a metro city like Mumbai and in Raigad district, which may run into crores."
"It will be clear from those exhibits that holding an official post in any political party by itself, cannot be a legal source of income. Similarly, holding the constitutional posts of chief minister and cabinet minister in any state also is not a source of income as the remuneration is limited," her petition asserts.
The Bhides further claims that Thackerays additionally published the magazine Marmik and newspaper Saamna but they have never been subject to audit by the Audit Bureau of Circulation and nobody knows their print order.
"As the Marmik and Saamna cannot be bread-butter and wealth earner for the family considering their extravagant lifestyle, their political outfit i.e. Shivsena and its corporators and particularly, chairmen of the Standing and Improvements Committees of the BMC is their only and only medium of source to create "wealth.
" the petition contends.
Bhide claims that her complaint was sent to the police commissioner on July 11, 2022 and forwarded to the EOW but no action was taken. Therefore, they have prayed for the High Court to direct the Centre, ED and CBI "to take cognisance of her complaint filed with Mumbai police and take the investigation in their hands."
Moreover, for the investigation to be monitored by the Bombay High Court on a monthly basis.
Source - Live Law
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