Bombay High Court to decide on PIL against ex-medical education minister in 2 weeks

DNA: Mumbai: Thursday, June 25, 2015.

The Bombay High Court will decide after two weeks whether to dispose of the PIL against former medical education minister Vijaykumar Gavit and his relatives, which alleges that he (Gavit) has disproportionate assets.

Nashik-based activist Vishnu Musale, who had filed the PIL in the Bombay High Court, seeking action against Gavit and his relatives, has written a letter to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), saying he wants to withdraw his petition.

Musale wrote a letter to the ACB on April 28, which said considering that the ACB has given a clean chit to the former minister and that it's refusing to share a copy of the report, he (Musale) was not interested in pursuing the case.

The government pleader, on Tuesday, informed the Bombay High Court about Musale's letter. However, Musale's advocate, Uday Warunjikar said he was not aware of such a development and sought time to speak with Musale.

 Mahesh Jethmalani, counsel for the Gavits, said that as the ACB has given a clean chit, the PIL should be disposed of.

A division bench of justices NH Patil and SB Shukre has kept the matter for hearing after two weeks, when it will decide whether to dispose of the PIL.

In April, the ACB had informed the HC that no case is made out against them in the alleged disproportionate assets case. It had also said that the report was submitted to the state government, which had accepted the findings.

The ACB had initiated an "open inquiry" against Gavit and his family, following an HC direction in a PIL by Musale. The investigating agency itself had sought permission from the HC to initiate open inquiry after a "discreet inquiry" into the assets of Gavit and his family had revealed some evidence.

Musale had sought a copy of the report from the ACB. The investigating agency had said that it cannot share the report, but had asked him to approach the government through RTI.

The PIL had made Gavit, his wife, Kumudini (president of zilla parishad of Nandurbar) and his brother Sharad (cabinet minister and MLA from Navapur) as respondents.