Govt to examine if it wants to appeal against Bhujbal acquittal in corruption case

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The state government will examine whether it should appeal in a case where former minister Chhagan Bhujbal and some contractors were acquitted in a corruption case, said Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis while replying to a calling attention motion raised by Suhas Kande, an MLA of Eknath Shinde faction. Kande asked whether the state would appeal against the orders of the lower court acquitting Bhujbal, his nephew, and some contractors. Kande hails from Nashik and Bhujbal is a political rival.

Answering the debate, Fadnavis said, “The session court acquitted them in 2021. Thereafter, the special public prosecutor sent a proposal to the state that there must be an appeal. The government pleader in HC said that there was no need to appeal. The matter was referred to law and judiciary that the state must go in for an appeal. Two Government Resolutions were issued and the matter went to the Government Pleader in the HC who sent it back to the state. The law and judiciary again said that an appeal must be made.”

“ The matter was sent to then CM Uddhav Thackeray who said that the Attorney General’s opinion must be taken. He recused himself and took the opinion of a retired SC judge that there is no need to appeal. Thackeray then cancelled the two government orders to appeal.”We will have to examine now whether the state can go for an appeal because the then CM had closed the file. We will examine legal angles and take a decision.”C