Banner of Pen Co-operative Urban Bank scam accused with Maharashtra CM Fadnavis raises brows
Navi Mumbai: Even as nearly two lakh depositors are yet to get their money back 15 years after the Rs 758-crore Pen Co-operative Urban Bank scam unearthed, a banner featuring the main accused, former chairman of the bank Shishir Dharkar, alongside chief minister Devendra Fadanvis and his cabinet colleague Ashish Shelar has come up at a key junction in the township.
The banner thanks Fadnavis for the Bombay high court stay on the use of plaster of Paris Ganpati idols.
Pen taluka and the township are famous for Ganesh idols. Through this banner, Dharkar is attempting to boost his political image as well as that of his supporters, claim local activists.
Dharkar was the chairman when the bank went into trouble between 2000 and 2010 over bad loans and without insurance renewal to save the depositors getting basic deposit amount.
He has been accused of allegedly opening 685 fake loan accounts in various branches of the bank by manipulating bank records and withdrawing the funds for personal gains.
Naren Jadhav, working president of the depositors' body Pen Urban Bank Thevidar Sangharsh Samiti, alleged, "We are surprised to see how such a banner involving the bank scam accused is being erected while the depositors and their families are still suffering."
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The Samiti's demand for a cut-off date to recover the money has not been accepted during the HC-appointed committee meeting on Wednesday. "Our request for a timeline to recover the Rs 598.7 crore has been turned down by the committee set up by the HC in 2015. We will now have to again approach HC," Jadhav said.
Dharkar was former president of Pen Municipal Council, who formed his own political party. He joined Shiv Sena (UBT) and later quit.
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