Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
A special court has once again denied bail to Ambadas Abaji Mankape, the key accused in the multi-crore Adarsh Nagari Cooperative Credit Society scam. Judge Shaukat S. Gorwade ruled that circumstances had not changed since his first rejected plea, keeping him in custody.
An audit report revealed that between 2019 and 2022, crores of rupees were misappropriated from the credit society. Mankape, as chairman, and the board of directors allegedly created fake loan accounts and sanctioned massive sums. The accused acted as guarantors for each other, funneling large amounts into nine firms owned by them and their families. Investigators found fake guarantors and forged documents used to secure loans.
Defense cites ‘Parity’ for bailMankape’s lawyer argued that he had already spent a year in jail, while other directors had received bail. The defence claimed authorities had seized his assets and relevant documents. Citing the "parity" principle under the District Legal Services Authority’s special campaign, the lawyer contended that Mankape should be granted bail on the same grounds as the other accused.
Prosecution’s Strong OppositionSpecial Public Prosecutor Komal Kandharkar opposed the bail plea, stating that Mankape, unlike the other accused, was the society’s chairman and directly pressured employees to release loans even before approval. She argued that the parity principle did not apply since those granted bail were only directors. The District Legal Services Authority had only recommended reviewing bail applications, not approving them. Agreeing with the prosecution, the court dismissed Mankape’s bail plea. He remains in custody as investigations continue.