Former Maharashtra ministers Suresh Jain and Gulabrao Deokar along with 46 others were sentenced to jail for varying jail terms between three and seven years by a Dhule sessions court on Saturday for their involvement in the multi-crore ‘Gharkul’ housing scam.
Shiv Sena Leader Suresh Jain 7-year Jail
Special Judge Srushti Neelkanth also imposed a fine of Rs 100 crore on Suresh Jain along with 7 years of imprisonment, while Gulabrao Deokar was given a five-year sentence.
Among the 46 others accused were some former municipal councillors and officials. All the 48 convicts were soon taken into custody after the announcement of the verdict.
Reportedly, there were a total of 52 accused in the case. While three of them died during the pendency of the trial and one is still absconding. Also, the case, which was originally being tried in Jalgaon, was transferred by the Supreme Court to Dhule in order to prevent influencing of witnesses and ensure fairness.
Suresh Jain Rs 100 cr Fine In Housing Scam
A Shiv Sena leader, Suresh Jain was arrested back in March 2012 for a Rs. 29-crore housing project scam when he was a state minister of home in the 1990s. He had spent over a year in jail before securing bail from the Supreme Court.
While NCP leader Gulabrao Deokar, who was a councillor in the Jalgaon Municipal Council between 1995 and 2000, was also arrested back in May 2012. He had spent three years in jail before securing bail.
Both of them were accused of favouring a builder and indulging in irregularities to the tune of Rs. 29 crore. Reportedly, Suresh Jain had favoured Khandesh Builders, which was given a contract to build tenements under the Gharkul scheme.
Former municipal commissioner of Jalgaon, Pravin Gedam, had registered a complaint in this regard in February 2006. As per the complaint, out of a total of the 5,000 houses that were to be developed on the outskirts of Jalgaon, only 1,500 were completed.
Meanwhile, none of the Shiv Sena spokespersons were available to comment on the issue.
Leave a Reply