9crn2785-10 1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MUMBAI CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CRIMINAL APPLICATION NO.2785 OF 2010 Vijay Shankar Khandale. ..Applicant. Vs. The State of Maharashtra ..Respondent. .... Mr.H.S. Venegaonkar, Advocate i/b. Mr.Sachin Chandan, Advocate for the applicant. Mr.Y.M. Nakhawa, A.P.P. for the State. .... CORAM : A.R.JOSHI, J. DATED : 23RD JUNE, 2010 P.C. 1. Heard rival submissions for some time on this application for anticipatory bail preferred by the applicant, apprehending his arrest in the matter of C.R. No.73 of 2010 registered on 13th April, 2010 at Daund Police Station, District - Pune. 2. Said FIR is lodged by one Maruti Ingle, working as Extension Officer, Panchayat Samiti, Daund. According to 9crn2785-10 2 him, earlier there was some complaint by ex-sarpanchas of the concerned Grampanchayat & there was formation of one enquiry committee under the directions of the Deputy Chief Officer, Zilla Parishad, Pune. Accordingly on 7th January, 2010 record of the Grampanchayat Pandharewadi was inspected and various infirmities and anomalies were found. During the relevant period of anomalies present applicant was Extension Officer and also subsequently as Rural Development Officer and during the said tenure there were different Sarpanchas. The said Sarpanchas are also made as accused persons and allegations were leveled against them including present applicant regarding total defalcation of Rs. 55 lakhs and odd under various heads. It is also alleged that an amount of about Rs.24.83 lakhs was utilized without there being any prior sanctions. Without there being any detailed notes taken in the account book only on cryptic notes an amount of Rs.22.76 lakhs was expended. An amount of Rs. 1.42 lakhs was taken from the account of the 12th Financial 9crn2785-10 3 Programme and the said amount was expended without there being any preparatory documents and without there being any sanction. An amount of Rs.2.75 lakhs was expended under Indira Awas Gharakul Scheme without there being any sanctions and the amount of Rs.3.3 lakhs and odd was expended without there being any entry in the relevant documents. 3. Apparently, during the tenure of different Sarpanchas, present applicant was still in the service of the said Grampanchayat on different posts and he was responsible to keep the accounts as per the law which allegedly he has not done and as such he faced departmental enquiry and presently he is under suspension since December, 2009. Apart from the said D.E., in the present matter of the FIR lodged in April 2010, present applicant is named as one of the accused. 4. Reportedly, the investigation is still going on and prima facie defaulcated amount is more than Rs.55 lakhs. 9crn2785-10 4 Considering the allegations and considering that it is the local government amount which is utilized without there being any proper accountability, it would not be in the fitness of the situation to grant the relief of anticipatory bail to the present applicant. As such, present application is disposed of with following order :- :: O R D E R :: [i] Criminal Application No.2785 of 2010 for anticipatory bail stands rejected. (A.R.JOSHI,J.)