High Court refuses to stay prosecution against tainted officer

YAVATMAL: The High Court refused to grant interim stay on Friday, on its own order passed on October 18, directing the Nanded district collector to initiate legal proceedings against tainted officials and fixed the next hearing of the case on November 22.

A Division Bench comprising Justices M T Joshi and K U Chandiwal of the Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court had directed the Nanded district collector on October 18 to prosecute tainted engineers and officers of the irrigation as well as revenue departments in the "compensation scam" in the prestigious inter-state multi-crore Lower Painganga Irrigation Project of Yavatmal.

The application was filed by the Superintending Engineer of Yavatmal Irrigation Circle through Advocate N B Khandare and Executive Director Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC), Nagpur through Advocate S G Jagtap.

Their plea was rejected on the basis of a report on October 24 by the Nanded District Collector addressed to the Assistant Collector of Kinwat to lodge an FIR under relevant sections against the tainted officers.