Bombay High Court Quashes FIR Against Maharashtra Irrigation Officials

The Bombay High Court has quashed an FIR against four Maharashtra irrigation officials accused of inflating tender costs for the Gosikhurd project. The court ruled there was insufficient evidence of corruption, noting that administrative lapses alone cannot result in criminal charges. The case had significant political implications in Maharashtra.

On Tuesday, the Bombay High Court quashed an FIR against four officials from Maharashtra's irrigation department involved in the Gosikhurd project. The Anti-Corruption Bureau in Nagpur had previously investigated the alleged tender cost inflation.

Political repercussions were significant, with the BJP and Shiv Sena criticizing the former Congress-NCP government. Those named in the FIR included Sanjay Kholapurkar, Devendra Shirke, Sopal Suryavansi, and Lalit Ingalewal.

The High Court ruled that administrative lapses noted in a departmental inquiry could not justify criminal prosecution. The court also highlighted the lack of expertise in the ACB's inquiry, leading to the quashing of the FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.