Disproportionate assets case: Goa ACB files FIR against Congress leader Kavlekar, party calls its ‘political raid’

(Source: Chandrakant Kavlekar/Facebook)

Goa state Anti-Corruption Bureau on Saturday raided the residence of Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar in a 2013 disproportionate assets case. The probe has relied on the leader’s details given to the election office for the assembly elections. ACB sources said, “We waited for the clearance from the office of Chief Secretary. We went for the final raids and FIR following the state government’s nod.” The government’s nod came on Friday, they confirmed.

While the opposition has called it a ‘political raid’, ACB has listed at least 14 properties purchased by Kavlekar between January 2007 and April 2013 in Kerala, which is at the root of the probe.

A statement from the Anti-Corruption Bureau said the disproportionate assets sum up to the tune of Rs 4,78,58,471 calculated around 59.21 per cent above their own sources of income during the probe period. Kavlekar, who came elected from Quepem, was the chairman of the Goa Industrial Development Corporation in the probe period.

“We have conducted raids in his office premises at Margao and residence at Quepem,” confirmed a senior ACB officer. The raids, the officers said, will continue through the day.

Congress leader Shantaram Naik, however, slammed the entire exercise calling it “political”. “This is a threat to build pressure against Congress,” he said. “The probe is old. Why raid now?” he added.