Jalgaon/Nashik: Commercial establishments
in north Maharashtra`s Jalgaon town remained closed in
response to the bandh call given by Shiv Sena in the protest
against arrest of former minister and MLA Suresh Jain in 2006
Gharkul Housing Scheme scam.
Hotels and shops in the city remained closed even as
the educational institutes were given holiday on the occasion
of Rang Panchmi.
However, the students appearing for the ongoing senior
secondary board exam had to face some hardships in the wake of
bandh though the police force was deployed in the city to
prevent any untoward incident.
Jain, who was a Minister for Housing during the Shiv
Sena-BJP rule in the 1990s, was yesterday arrested for
allegedly favouring a builder and indulging in irregularities
to the tune of Rs 29 crore.
Jain had allegedly indulged in irregularities to the
tune of Rs 29 crore and had favoured Khandesh Builders, a firm
that was given a contract for constructing tenements under the
Gharkul housing scheme.
Former municipal commissioner of Jalgaon Pravin Gedam
had registered a complaint in this connection in 2006.
So far, four persons, including former mayor of
Jalgaon Pradip Raisoni, director of Khandesh Builders Major
Nana Wani, one Raja Mayoor and the former chief officer of
Jalgaon Municipal Council P D Kale, have been arrested in
January in this connection and are presently in Jalgaon jail.
Jain`s arrest came after police acquired some case-
related documents from the Housing and Urban Development
Corporation Limited (HUDCO) office in Mumbai on Friday.
Out of the 5,000 tenements to be developed under the
housing scheme on the outskirts of Jalgaon, only about 1,500
have been completed so far, the sources said.
Jain, who was remanded in police custody till March
19, was last night shifted to neighbouring Amalner fearing a
backlash from his supports over arrest.
PTI
