The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has formally requested the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city police to provide a copy of the 'C' summary final report and all associated investigation documents related to a 2023 Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY) housing tender case. This move comes despite a judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) accepting the police's closure report and ending the case in June 2024.
Background of the PMAY Tender Case
The origins of the case trace back to February 23, 2023, when an FIR was registered at the City Chowk police station. The complaint was filed by deputy municipal commissioner Aparna Thete, alleging cartelisation and cheating in the tender process for constructing 40,000 houses under the central government's PMAY scheme.
The police booked 19 accused under multiple Indian Penal Code sections including cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy (sections 420, 463, 464, 465, 467, 468, 471, 418, 417, 500, 120-B, and 34). Acting swiftly on this FIR, the Enforcement Directorate registered a money laundering case and initiated a parallel investigation within a fortnight.
Why Police Filed a 'C' Summary Report
The case took a decisive turn based on a supplementary statement provided by the original complainant, Aparna Thete. In this statement, she clarified several key points that led investigators to conclude no prosecutable offense occurred.
The core issue was that all three bidders had submitted their bids from the same IP address, initially raising suspicions of collusion. This led the municipal corporation to cancel the Letters of Acceptance (LOA-1 and LOA-2). However, Thete's statement clarified that the project never moved beyond the tender stage.
The police investigation, led by then sub-inspector Kashinath Mahandule, recorded critical findings:
- No work order or agreement was ever issued or executed.
- The project did not commence on site and no land was transferred.
- No government funds were disbursed and no financial transaction took place.
- The contractors received no financial benefit.
- A fresh tender was later issued through due process.
Thete attributed the initial complaint to a "misunderstanding arising from natural and human errors" within the then committee. Since the tender was cancelled in time, police concluded the accused obtained no undue advantage and caused no financial loss to beneficiaries, the municipal corporation, or state and central governments.
Based on this, the police submitted a 'C' summary report, stating no cognisable offence was made out, which the JMFC court accepted in June 2024, formally closing the case.
ED's Continued Scrutiny and Next Steps
The ED's request for documents is significant given its active earlier involvement. In March 2023, the agency conducted searches at six premises in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Pune, and Akola linked to the contractors. It collected digital evidence, sought tender documents from the municipal corporation, and recorded statements under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
A senior ED official stated the agency will now examine the grounds for the 'C' summary filing and compare it with evidence from its ongoing money laundering probe. This indicates the criminal case closure may not automatically end the ED's financial investigation.
When contacted for comment, police commissioner Pravin Pawar declined to speak on the matter. Deputy municipal commissioner Aparna Thete said she needed to review the documents before responding.
The development highlights how enforcement agencies can continue probes independently, even after local police and courts have disposed of a related criminal case, particularly in matters involving allegations of large-scale financial irregularities in government schemes.
