ACB books 11 in Chanda bank recruitment scam

Chandrapur: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Chandrapur, on Tuesday booked 11 persons, including six directors of Chandrapur district central cooperative (CDCC) bank for recruitment scam that took place in 2013.

Simultaneous raids were conducted at the residences of the accused across the state during the day. Three bank directors, who had filed complaint exposing the misappropriation, too, have been booked as accused in the scam.

According to DM Ghuge, Dy SP, ACB, the bank had held recruitments for the post of clerk and peons from backward class category in 2013. The entire selection committee, headed by the then president of bank Shekhar Dhote, along with representative of Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Ltd (MKCL) hired for recruitment procedure, was allegedly involved in the misappropriation.

The candidates were given additional marks against the financial gains to help them in selection for the jobs. In the stark violation of norms, the waiting list of the candidates was never published during the recruitment process.

Investigations into the recruitment scam were initiated following the complaint lodged by director of the bank and member of selection committee Ravindra Shinde in 2015. “We have discovered substantial evidences pointing at misappropriation in recruitment process during the investigations. Offence has been registered against 11 people at Ramnagar police station,” said Ghuge while talking to TOI.

All the accused are booked under corruption, cheating and abetment charges. Two other directors namely Pandurang Jadhav and Nandatai Allurwar along with MLA Bunty Bhangadiya too had subsequently filed complaint into the matter.

The accused includes Dhote, directors Prabha Wasade, Lalit Motghare, Ravindr Shinde, Pandurang Jadhav, Nanda Allurwar, the then CO of CDCC bank and present manager of regional branch of Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank Ltd at Aurangabad, Vijay Khedikar, the then social welfare inspector Laxmikant Patil, the then assistant project officer and sitting senior research officer of ST caste verification committee Ashok Wahane, the then cooperative society registrar of Chandrapur and sitting deputy manager of Krishi Panan Mandal, Ratnagiri, Madan Ahirey and representative of MKCL, Pune Ganesh Abhang.

Ghuge ratified that three of directors, who had filed complaint, too have been booked for the scam. He maintained that ACB has recovered no incrementing material during the raids conducted at the residences of all the accused. Accused in the case will be arrested soon after due procedure, he added.