AMN /
CBI has registered an FIR against former Union Textile Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela and six others for sale of prime property in Mumbai allegedly at throwaway prices to a private company. CBI sources said FIR has been registered against Mr. Vaghela, former National Textiles Corporation CMD Ramachandran Pillai and others for allegedly causing a 1700 crore rupees loss to the exchequer through the sale of NTC land in Parel.
Soon after registering the FIR, CBI today carried out searches at nine locations in four cities–New Delhi, Gandhinagar, Mumbai and Kolkata including the residence of Mr. Vaghela and others. The FIR comes after over an year-long Preliminary Inquiry into the matter. Mr Vaghela, a senior Congress leader, is the Leader of Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly and also a former Chief Minister of the state.
Congress today defended former Union Textile Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela and said he is a victim of vindictive politics. Party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of taking out his personal grudge against Mr Vaghela. He said the CBI is being misused by NDA government to do so.
