Maharashtra’s anti-corruption drive in the cooperative banking sector has begun with the new BJP chief minister asking the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) to investigate allegations of misappropriation of Rs. 144 crore in the Dhule district cooperative bank.
Former congress minister Harshwardhan Patil who was the cooperative minister in the previous government and legislative council member Amrish Patel are alleged to be involved in the scam.
The gravamen of the charges against Patil is not taking action against Patel and the then directors of the bank who indulged in financial irregularities including sanctioning unsecured loans.
Sources say preliminary investigations carried out by the ACB earlier had found substance in charges leveled against both Mr Patil and Patel.