The filing of an FIR against BJP politician Pravin Darekar in connection with the suspected Mumbai Bank scandal has sparked political controversy

The Mumbai police have lodged an FIR against the leader of the opposition in the state council Pravin Darekar (BJP) in connection with an alleged Mumbai Bank fraud case, an official said on Tuesday, amid a barrage of claims from the Maha Vikas Aghadi partners and the BJP over corruption issues. The police have filed an FIR against Darekar based on a complaint filed by Aam Aadmi Party leader Dhananjay Shinde under sections 200 (using as true a declaration knowing it to be false), 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 465 (punishment for forgery), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 120b (criminal conspiracy), and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

 

Shinde has accused Darekar of obtaining a directorship at the Mumbai Bank by feigning membership in a labour organisation, and has claimed that the bank was rife with fraud and irregularities throughout his tenure. He also claimed that Darekar, who served as Chairman of the Mumbai Bank from 2011 to 2021, disguised as a labourer, which was later discovered to be false. Darekar, according to Shinde, did not work as a labourer and did not have a contract for labour supply. Despite this, he ran for the position of director of the Mumbai Bank for over two decades. He claimed that during the investigation, a commission constituted by the state cooperative department discovered wrongdoing during an audit.

 

Darekar was registered as a labourer in 1997, according to Shinde. Following that, he won state assembly elections in 2009 on the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena ticket, despite declaring in his nomination papers that he was in the private sector. Darekar has aimed at the MVA administration, claiming that the FIR was filed as part of revenge politics and that he will seek redress in court. "Action against me is a "determined programme" of the MVA government," he stated. He said that the dispute was resolved and that he had quit as a member of the union long ago.

 

"Despite a "C" summary, an FIR filed by the Economic Offence Wing against Mumbai Bank has been re-opened due to political hostility. We are unafraid of such pressure and will pursue justice in court," Darekar stated. The police action erupted into a ruckus in the state legislature and council. Devendra Fadnavis, the state assembly's Leader of the Opposition, slammed the MVA government's vendetta politics. He wanted to know how many legislators were in charge of labour organisations.

 

Manisha Kayande, a Shiv Sena legislator, has called for Darekar's arrest. She said Darekar's moral right to serve on the state council had been taken away after an FIR was filed against him. The filing of an FIR against Darekar was roundly denounced by the opposition in the state council. Bhai Girkar, a BJP MLC, stated, "The FIR filed against Darekar is an attempt to silence the opposition's voice. Because the MVA government is being cornered for its wrongdoings and other scandals that the BJP is exposing, it has taken action against him."

 

 

Image Courtesy: Twitter @SanjayJog7