I have been writing about corruption but today I want to discuss an example of corruption to understand how corruption can destroy life of many people. I am referring to troubles through which presently one co-operative bank is passing. This is about Veershaiva Co-op. Bank in Mumbai. This bank is on the verge of bankruptcy due to misappropriation of funds by the board of Directors and their accomplices. A lawsuit is under hearing at Bombay High Court case no, 92/2011 in the Court of Justice Kanade and other. By one directive, the Court has ordered the concerned investigating agency, in this case E.O.W. (Economic Offenses Wing of CBI), to seize all property of the offender and by selling it to recover the losses to the Bank. Very simple ruling and it appears to some that everything is okay. However, to every body’s dismay things are not so simple. 

Let me explain the complications involved in the matter. When this directive reached the officer concerned, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Suhash Rane of the E. O. Wing, responsible to execute the order, he began to find loopholes in the ruling by providing other excuses by which he can evade any action for appropriation of the concerned property. He insists to go by the directive of the logbook by the department that says, EOW cannot seize property of the accused even if he admits of the offense committed by him, unless it is proved that that property is due to him because of the appropriated funds. Here we see that the directive of the Court supersedes the directive of the logbook and it is clear that the directive of the logbook functions only in the event when there is no clear directive from higher authorities, such as a High Court, is available. That means, withholding of the operation and by that helping the culprit, Mr. Kore, is an open and shut case of corruption. This is also a case of contempt of Court. 

Now the question is why the concerned ACP Rane is avoiding action against the accused. This became clear when one of the accomplices of Mr. Kore in a private talk openly challenged officer of the Bank and told him, that Mr. Kore has paid five crores to the police officer out of the booty of 60 crores that they looted from the Bank. We can understand that five crores is a good amount and many police officers including, most probably, CP Arup Patnaik are the beneficiaries in that. We cannot hold ACP Rane directly but one can expect that the argument that the Court ruling supersedes the order of logbook (Crime Branch V/S 102), should work to resolve the issue. It is a question of 70000 account holders, depositors and staff of the Bank whose life’s savings are at stake. At present the prime accuse Mr. Kore is in jail and gives instructions to the police officers on the strength of this bribe so that he can come out free. Interesting part in this case is that the accused had already admitted of his crime and so there is no possibility for benefit of doubt going to him. 

This also shows that our CBI is not as clean as we think; it is as corrupt as any other government department. At one time, Justice Kanade remonstrated to ACP Rane for not taking action in time and help the bank but Rane is continuing to be as adamant as anything is and so far, no seizure of property done. I do not know if a case against Rane for not obeying Court directive is possible in this case. We regret that our Police Department has greedy officers at the level of ACP who show no sense of responsibility towards suffering depositors and employees. A few crores of bribe and they shall sell off the country for a ransom. I must assert that we do not have a government worth the mention, in the State of Maharashtra. 

There are several such cases showing corruption amongst the police officers. I hope CP Arup Patnaik is not involved with Rane and if so, we should expect that he look into the matter, help the poor depositors, and save the Bank. We also know that Arup has taken action against other ACPs and now he should look into the affairs of this ACP, Rane.

I invite you to visit my other blog if you are interested in stories.

Ashok Kothare’s Blog 

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