Apex court raps Deshmukh

Ex-chief minister tried to subvert justice at the behest of MLA

Imposing a cost of Rs 10 lakh on the state government, a bench of Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly said, “Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh certainly acted beyond all legal norms by giving the impugned directions to the Collector to protect members of a particular family who are dealing in money lending business from the normal process of law.’’

 The judges said Deshmukh, who is now Union Industries Minister, had tried to save money lender Gokulchand Sananda and others after his son Dilip Kumar Sananda, an MLA, had spoken to him.

“The chief minister, without verifying the truthfulness or otherwise of the assertion of Shri Dilip Kumar Sananda that false complaints were being lodged against his family members, issued instructions that the complaint against the concerned MLA and his family members should be first placed before the District Anti-money lending committee, which should obtain legal opinion of the District Government Pleader and only then take decision on the same and take appropriate legal action,’’ said the judgment.

“The (former) chief minister should not have interfered with the criminal justice system,” said the bench in 21 page judgement.

Talking about the money lending business, the apex court said, “Nearly 300 farmers have committed suicide in Vidarbha region as victims of such illegal money lending business and the torture perpetrated in the recovery of such money.’’

Government appeal

The apex court gave the order while dismissing the state government’s appeal challenging the Rs 25,000 imposed on it as cost by the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court.

The high court had imposed the fine after finding ‘gross interference from the executive’ in shielding a private financier belonging to the ruling party.

It is mentioned in the judgment that chief minister Deshmukh’s private secretary Ajinkya Padwal had twice called up the Khamgaon city police station in Maharashtra on May 31, 2006, to enquire about a complaint against Gokulchand Sananda.

The complaint had been filed by Sarnagdharsingh Chavan and his brother Vijaysingh Chavan, who had said they took a loan from Sananda, but were unable to pay it back due the exorbitant interest rate at 10 percent per month levied on the capital.