HC pulls up ACB for slow progress in investigations

Mumbai, Aug 8 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today lambasted the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the police for the slow progress of investigation into the alleged extortion case against underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's sister Haseena Parkar.

A Division Bench of Justices R M S Khandeparkar and V K Tahilramani today stated ''though it cannot be said that nothing has been done, progress in the investigations cannot be termed satisfactory'', and directed the ACB to file another progress report within four weeks.'' The ACB had filed a lengthy progress report, including exchange of SMSs.

The direction came in response to a petition filed by one of the accused, Sandeep Shukla seeking CBI investigation into the whole case, alleging that police were not conducting the investigations properly.

Shukla's counsel told the court that last time it had expected some fruitful and effective investigation but there was no development.

After perusing the progress report, the judges pulled up the ACB officials and made it clear that typical bureaucratic terminology will not satisfy them.

Assistant Public Prosecutor Aruna Pai maintained that the investigation was in progress and as of today nothing linking crime branch officers inspector Anil Mahabole and Assistant Inspector Nikam directly with the bribery case was found.

She also pointed out that a key accused Sayyad Yakub Nizam, alias Raju, was still absconding and until Raju was arrested there can not be any real progress in the investigation.

The Anti-extortion cell of the Mumbai police had registered an FIR against Haseena and seven others, including the petitioner and his uncle Krishnamilan Shukla, persuant to a complaint filed by real estate broker Vinod Avlani. Avlani has alleged that he had paid Rs one crore to the Shuklas for two Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) Projects. But when Avlani demanded back his money seeing that the projects were not materialising, Rs 30 lakh were allegedly retained by Haseena and her men as extortion amount.

UNI