Mumbai: Anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare expressed his extreme disappointment today on delay by Maharashtra government in permitting judicial process against corrupt former ministers.
Talking to PTI here today at Ralegan Siddhi village, Anna said that the police department had sought permission to bring due legal process against present Jalgaon MLA and former state minister Sureshkumar Bhikamchand Jain, also known as Suresh Jain and 'Sureshdada' Jain.
The Maharashtra government must permit the police to pursue a case against the MLAs as per Clause number 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code, he said.
The police had filed a case (Registration Number 13/2006) against Suresh Jain, and another minister from Jalgaon district called Gulabrao Devkar, for alleged corruption in a government housing scheme.
Anna said that despite his following up the case, it is pending without any action since 2006.
An IPS officer by the name of Ishu Sindhu had taken action in the case, despite political pressures and arrested Suresh Jain and others, he said.
On May 5, 2012, the police had applied to the Maharashtra government for permission to take the matter to court, but the state government had not permitted the police to do so, he said.
The Supreme Court too rejected the the bail appeals by Gulabrao Devkar and Suresh Jain due to the serious nature of their offences as well as solid evidence against them, he said.
The Maharashtra government is shielding these corrupt former ministers and sending out the wrong message, Anna said.
Anna said that he had also written a letter to Prithviraj Chauhan demanding immediate permission in this matter.
Several state governments including Maharashtra state have been denying permission to proceed legally against MLAs or MLCs in corruption cases to protect corrupt politicians, he said.
Anna demanded that a specific period must be fixed for permission to be granted to pursue cases against corrupt politicians.
However, if the state government does not grant these or rejects permission during that time limit, then it should automatically be considered as 'permitted' to proceed legally, Anna said.
