Contempt notice issued to the then CEO of Saibaba Sansthan

Aurangabad, Oct 11:

Aurangabad bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice R N Ladda on Monday issued directives to serve a contempt notice to the then Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Saibaba Sansthan Trust (Shirdi) Kanhuraj Bagate for making payment of Rs 25 crore to the contractor without taking permission of the ad hoc committee and the court.

According to details, trustees of Saibaba Sansthan were granted permission only for daily expenses following a petition filed in 2019 by social activist Sanjay Kale. Later, public interest litigation (120/2019) was filed in the court, which set up a four-member ad-hock committee.

Principal District Judge was appointed its president. Kanhuraj Bagate was appointed CEO of the Sansthan in August 2020.

Sanjay Kale got information through the Right to Information (RTI) Act that Bagate made payment of Rs 25 crore to Nyati Construction, Bhanu Construction and other contractors for their bills.

Kale filed a contempt petition in the HC, which took serious notice of it. The hearing was held on the petition today and the court gave the above orders. Advocates Pradnya Talekar and Kale appeared for the petitioner.

The next hearing has been placed after four weeks.