Court summons Maha Chief Secy, seeks records

The court’s order came after the CBI informed it that they have received a communication from the government that though Vishwas Sawakhande, earlier director in the Directorate of Geology and Mining, retired on May 31, the state has refused to accord sanction to prosecute him. 

“I find force in the submission of senior public prosecutor and accordingly direct that summons be issued to Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra, who may depute some concerned officer along with the relevant original record to be produced before this court,” Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar said.

During the proceedings, the CBI told the court that in its July 23 communication, the government had said that the proposal to accord sanction to prosecute Sawakhande was received by it prior to his retirement. Senior public prosecutor Sanjay Kumar said if the sanction was refused by the competent authority after the Sawakhande’s retirement, then there was no necessity for the sanction at all.

He said it was necessary to ascertain whether the government had refused the request to consider the sanction to prosecute Sawakhande after his retirement or prior to it. The court has now fixed the matter for further hearing on August 10.