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Dudhat probe panel exonerates Sutar of corruption charges

The Justice Dudhat inquiry commission's report, exonerating former Maharashtra agriculture minister Shashikant Sutar of all the corruption charges alleged against him, was today tabled in the legislative assembly by Chief Minister Manohar Joshi.

Tabling the report in the assembly, which resumed its business today after a 10-day recess, Joshi said the Dudhat inquiry commission could not prove any charges framed against Sutar and therefore he stood exonerated.

Minister of State for Finance Ravindra Mane placed the report in the state legislative council.

Joshi had assured the house on April 1, while replying to a point of propriety by R R Patil (Congress), that the report would be submitted in the legislature during its current session.

Earlier, the Puranik committee, which was appointed to probe the corruption charges levelled against Sutar and Finance Minister Mahadeorao Shivankar by the social reformer Anna Hazare, had held Sutar guilty and exonerated Shivankar who was then irrigation minister.

Later, the Dudhat inquiry commission was set up to probe into the charges against Sutar.

The Dudhat report said Sutar and his wife, during his tenure as minister between May 27, 1995 and April 30, 1997, had not acquired any property in their names. Sutar had also shown his personal income from agricultural properties and from his hotels and a typing and shorthand institute, it said.

The report pointed out that, during his tenure as minister, Sutar had not encroached on any public place or public utility lands. He had also not carried out any new constructions on the public lands and he had not misused his position as minister.

One of the findings of the report said Sutar had not effected any transfers of officers in his department against the rules. Sutar had also not committed any irregularities or followed corrupt practices or brought undue pressure on officers competent to effect the transfer, it added.

It said Sutar's sons Prithviraj and Pankaj were engaged in the hotel business during his ministership. However, they have led sufficient evidence that they obtained money from the hotel business.

UNI

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