SC slams union minister Vilasrao Deshmukh

The Supreme Court today snubbed Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and told him to stay away from interfering with the functioning of authorities under the money lending act.

The apex court told the Union Minsiter, who was also a former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, that he had no business to interfere with the authorities in directing a superintendent of police not to register an FIR on complaints made by the farmers alleging money lending by MLA Dilipkumar Sananda and his family in 2006.

The judgement came in a petition filed by Sarnagdharsingh Chavan representing the Vidarbha farmers, who had sought quashing of Deshmukh’s directions to stall investigations against Sananda.

This was challenged by the Maharashtra government in SC and a notice was issued to Deshmukh.

“Chief Minister had no business to interfere with the functioning of authorities under the money lending Act,” the court said.

It also slapped a fine of Rs. 10 lakh to be paid by the state government to state legal authorities within six weeks.

Earlier, the Bombay High court had imposed a fine of Rs. 25000.

On Dec 7, Bombay High Court had stayed the Environment Ministry’s notice directing Lavasa to stop construction work.

The HC directed Ministry of Environment and Forest to hear Lavasa before the next hearing on Dec 16.

MoEF heard Lavasa and others opposing the construction and Lavasa said it has got all clearances from the Maharashtra government.