Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde was on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail by a sessions court in Beed district, in connection with an alleged cheating case lodged against him. The allegation is that he along with other accused had duped a cooperative bank.
Advocate Aniket Nikam, appearing for Munde, said the court imposed certain conditions while granting anticipatory bail. In 2013, an FIR was filed at Parli City police station against Munde and others alleging that
Parli-based Sant Jagmitra Co-operative Cotton Mill in Beed district, of which Munde was the director, had taken loans amounting to crores of rupees from Beed District Central Co-operative Bank between 2003 and 2011 and had failed to repay them.
Recently, the Special Investigation Team filed their charge sheet in the said offence showing Munde as an absconding accused. Following this, Munde rushed to court in Ambejogoi seeking anticipatory bail.
Nikam argued that Munde was never absconding. His supplementary statement was recorded a few days prior to filing of the charge sheet. Being the Leader of Opposition, he has been provided a government residence opposite Mantralaya. He was present during the monsoon session of Legislative Council which happened after filing of the charge sheet, he added.
Furthermore, it was argued that the spinning mill which took the loan from the bank has paid around Rs11 crore towards interest of the said loan. Other than this, the mill has also mortgaged its property with the bank and in such a situation the intention to cheat the bank is not established.
