Cost of Rs 5,000 to investigating officer for non-compliance with court orders

Aurangabad, March 25:

Justice Ravindra V Ghuge and Justice B U Debadwar of the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court ordered an investigating officer to deposit Rs 5,000 as cost from his salary for non-compliance with court orders and failure to take action against the accused in a case. The orders were issued on March 22 during the hearing of a petition filed in connection with the Mundada Chit Fund scam in Nanded. The order has been directed to inform the Nanded district superintendent of police and submit a report to the court on the progress of the case by April 9.

The Mundada Chit Fund was set up by Ganesh Gopaldas Mundada of Nanded and other associates. Ordinary citizens and businessmen invested in this fund. Mundada closed the chit fund and fled without returning the money to the investors. According to complaints, a criminal case was filed against Mundada and his accomplice in January 2019 as per the order of the Nanded judicial magistrate. But no further action was taken. So the deceived investors through adv Prasad D Jarare filed a criminal petition in the Aurangabad bench. As no action has been taken by the concerned police, the bench on January 21, 2021 had directed to take concrete action against the accused and submit a report by the next hearing. The court had also ordered the concerned investigating officer and chit fund officer to be present before the court. However, the concerned police investigating officer did not appear. Therefore, on March 15, the court had directed to submit an explanation to the concerned police investigating officer at the next hearing. On March 22, the concerned police officer S R Mundhe submitted a written explanation of his absence. However, the bench issued the order as the concerned police officer did not take appropriate action and did not comply with the High Court order dated January 21.