HC raps Ashok Chavan, Dardas for misuse of office

The education society constructed an English medium school and a huge compound wall in the early 90’s on about 1,000 square metre land that belonged to plot owners of the area for public utility.

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Local residents opposed it but the Dardas allegedly got it regularised in 2009 through the office of the then Urban Development Minister Ashok Chavan, who was the then chief minister.

Local RTI activist Digambar Pachgade approached the police to lodge an FIR. The FIR wasn’t lodged forcing Pachgade to move the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Yavatmal.

The magistrate directed the filing of an FIR. The Dardas and Chavan moved the HC in 2011 seeking quashing of the magistrate’s order.
After hearing both sides, Justice A B Chaudhari rejected the petitions.

The judge observed, “The Trust did not have any right so also the Collector, Government or the Chief Minister to intrude in private sanctioned layout. But the intrusion was made. The Trust barged into this private layout belonging to 200 plot holders. Then Shri Ashok Chavan as Chief Minister with Governmental powers… regularized constructions. The obvious reason was his association with Shri Rajendra Darda…”

“Since investigation was delayed for about four years and applicants are highly influential, we think the Maharashtra Home Department should appoint a high level officer to supervise investigations to be completed within four months…,” the judge said.