07 January,2017 06:28 AM IST | | Vinay Dalvi
The social activist had filed petitions against the NCP chief and his nephew for their alleged involvement in a Rs 25,000 crore cooperative sugar mills scam
Anna Hazare and Sharad Pawar
It seems that the allegations levelled by Anna Hazare against former Agriculture Minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar regarding the latter's involvement in a Rs 25,000 crore cooperative sugar mills scam, are giving the social activist a bitter experience.
Just days after Hazare approached the Bombay High Court (HC) seeking a CBI inquiry into the scam, the court on Friday asked him to first file a police complaint and then approach it. Hazare had alleged that the Pawar family, which includes Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar, had taken the state 50 years back through their involvement in the scam.
A bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka on Friday said, "To consider your complaint of asking the CBI to carry out an inquiry into the matter, the criminal law must be set in motion under section 154 (1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. Hence, you should first approach the police."
Thereafter, senior counsel Satish Talekar, who appeared for Hazare asked for a month's time. Justice Oka then kept the matter for further hearing on February 13. According to sources, the social activist would have to file a fresh petition or carry out an amendment in the present one by making the police department a party in the case.
