According to media reports , the investigating officer (IO) in the Nagpur District National Central Cooperative Bank’s (NDCCB) government securities scam has recused himself from the case citing “mental, physical and financial harassment”.
Surendra Kharbade told the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court he was getting threats and that the government was not paying his bills, while seeking permission to be excused from the job.
Kharbade had started working on the case in June 2014 and was heading towards completion when he suddenly made this move. The bench told Kharbade that the court would provide him with security and ask the government to clear his dues.
Appreciating Kharbade’s situation, the court allowed Kharbade to withdraw himself from the case with the assurance that all his dues would be cleared. The court also directed the government to appoint a new investigating officer.
The NDCCB, headed by NCP leader and former minister Sunil Kedar, had in 2002 had spent Rs 150 crore to purchase government securities from a company called Home Trade but the securities never reached the banks. Similar scams were reported from other cooperative banks in Osmanabad and Wardha.
An inquiry by the cooperatives department had held Kedar guilty and asked him to pay up Rs 300 crore to the bank. Kedar, however, petitioned to then cooperatives minister Harshawardhan Patil, seeking fresh inquiry.
Patil readily obliged and it was then that Kharbade was appointed the IO. Last month, the high court dismissed two appeals filed by Kedar, which stated Kharbade’s refusal to record fresh evidences and issuance of notices to NABARD and District Deputy Registrar of Cooperatives. A fine of of Rs 40,000 was also imposed on Kedar. Soon after, Kedar moved the Supreme Court.