Communication gap with MPCC behind Rs 1cr seizure: Shekhawat

AMRAVATI: Local Congress MLA and President Pratibha Patil's son Rajendra Shekhawat on Tuesday attributed the dispute surrounding the Rs 1 crore cash seizure by the Amravati police to the 'communication gap' with the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.
The city police had asked Shekhawat, MPCC general secretary Ganesh Patil and state minister for water resources Rajendra Mulak among others to record their statement following a direction to this effect by a local court.Mulak had sought time from the police till February 28 to present his side. Patil who could not appear before the police owing to age factor, was represented by advocate Jagtap for the purpose.
On February 12 -- just four days before the Amravati civic polls -- the police seized the cash from a car and arrested driver Prakash Masram and Ashish Bodhankar in this connection.
"There was a communication gap and MPCC did not inform me as to how and when the funds were dispatched. I learnt about it only when the Amravati Police seized the vehicle and recovered Rs 1 crore," Shekhawat said while addressing mediapersons after recording his statement before police commissioner Amitesh Kumar.
Shekhawat said, "The local Congress unit had had asked for funds from the MPCC for financially poor party candidates contesting the civic polls. MPCC assured to send funds to Amravati District Congress Committee but did not inform when the funds would be sent or the mode of making the funds available."
"At around 11 pm on Saturday Ashish Bodhankar called me that he was carrying the cash meant for the Amravati District Congress. Later the same night Satyanarayan Agrawal called me, informing about police seizing the vehicle carrying the cash. I have no acquaintance with either Bodhankar or Agrawal," Shekhawat said.
The next morning, Shekhawat called up the MPCC office and that's how he could confirm that the cash was sent for the Amravati Congress unit. "I apprised the MPCC of the developments here and they immediately faxed a letter to the Amravati police giving details about the cash," he said.
"I told the police that Rs 1 crore was meant to be disbursed among 87 Congress nominees for municipal polls in proportion of Rs 1 lakh each and the remaining Rs 13 lakh was supposed to be spent by the Amravati District Congress Committee for meeting expenses and making advance payments. The entire fund was sent by MPCC through its general secretary Ganesh Patil," Shekhawat said.
The Congress MLA said that he asked Amravati District Congress Committee president Vasant Saurkar to file a petition in the court for getting possession of the cash which is presently in the government treasury.
Appearing for Shekhawat, advocate Wasim Mirza told mediapersons that their explanation was satisfactory and that they had placed facts before the police. "Police asked us a few questions about the source and purpose of funds. It is not a criminal case since we have proof about the legitimacy of funds. We submitted original papers to the police for verification and told them the sequence of events," said Mirza.
He, however, evaded a direct reply when asked as to how the cash landed in the seized vehicle belonging to Satyanarayan Agarwal - a businessman from Nagpur. Mirza also could not explain about the role of a personal staff of state minister Mulak in the transportation of cash.
Advocate Hitesh Jain, who represented the MPCC side, denied to disclose any details regarding the interrogation.
DIG and Amravati police chief Amitesh Kumar told reporters that Shekhawat recorded his statement in connection with the cash seizure. "Rs 1 crore cash, which was being transported into the city from Nagpur in a car and meant to be used during the civic polls, was seized on early February 12 and two persons were arrested. We are verifying and investigating the source and destination of funds seized and cross-checking every angle," Kumar said while refusing to elaborate as the investigations are in a 'critical' stage.
Following the seizure, the Election Commission had directed the district collector Rahul Mahiwal and municipal commissioner N Naveen Sona to file a report about the incident.
Shekhawat, who also has to appear before Mahiwal as per the EC's notice, would have to wait till the officer returns to the city from his official visit to Mumbai, sources said.
Meanwhile, a local court on Monday ordered release of the vehicle carrying Rs 1 crore cash seized by the Amravati police on a bond of Rs 20 lakh. The court delivered the order while hearing a petition filed by the Amravati District Congress Committee.
BJP district body too filed a counter petition urging the court against returning the seized cash to the Congress. The local Congress committee has asked time from court to present their case.
Court asked the election officer and AMC commissioner Sona to record his statement till February 29 over the issue.