On February 22, the Bombay High Court granted interim protection to Anuja and Shubham Salvi, wife and son of Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Rajan Salvi, in a case involving allegations of possessing disproportionate assets exceeding Rs 2 crore. The protection extends until April 2nd, requiring the Salvis to cooperate with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and submit supporting documents. The case falls under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, with investigations spanning from 2009 to 2022. The court has directed the Salvis to appear before investigators and present relevant documents between March 4th and 8th, with a hearing scheduled for April 2nd to address their plea for anticipatory bail.
Mumbai: On February 22, the Bombay High Court extended interim protection from arrest to Anuja and Shubham Salvi, wife and son of Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Rajan Salvi, until April 2nd. This decision comes in response to their plea for anticipatory bail amidst allegations of possessing disproportionate assets exceeding Rs 2 crore lodged against them by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
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Advocates Sudeep Pasbola and Rahul Aarote represented Anuja and Shubham Salvi in their bid for anticipatory bail, citing the ongoing case registered by the ACB. The condition of the interim protection requires the Salvis to cooperate with the investigating agency and furnish supporting documentation pertaining to their case.
Hiten Venegaonkar, the Chief Public Prosecutor representing the agency, highlighted that an extensive open inquiry lasted a year. During this period, the Salvis were given ample opportunities to substantiate their income claims with appropriate documentation. However, the family purportedly failed to provide conclusive evidence supporting their declared income, as required by law.
During the court proceedings, Justice Sarang Kotwal acknowledged the detailed nature of the FIR, which demarcates the properties acquired, loans secured, vehicle acquisitions, bank transactions, insurance policies, and construction activities undertaken by the Salvi family.
Pasbola argued that the Salvis possess all requisite documents supporting their income and assets, which were duly provided to investigators but were allegedly disregarded.
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The allegations against the Salvi family fall under the purview of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, with investigations stretching from 2009 to 2022. The allegation is based on the fact that the family amassed assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.
According to the ACB, Anuja declared income from various sources, such as a typing center, mango trading, and managing a Konkan railway ticket booking center. However, the agency asserted that Anuja failed to produce adequate documentation validating her income sources, leading to the discovery that her assets exceeded her known sources of income by 297%.
Similarly, investigations revealed that MLA Rajan Salvi’s assets exceeded his known income by 54.9%, while his son Shubham’s assets exceeded his known income by a staggering 721%. Venegaonkar pointed out discrepancies in the claimed loans for land purchase and property construction, revealing that the lenders lacked evident sources of income.
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After considering both arguments, the court directed Anuja and Shubham Salvi to appear before officers from March 4th to 8th, and present any additional supporting documents. Additionally, the court instructed both parties to furnish relevant case precedents regarding family members seeking anticipatory bail in PC Act cases for the hearing scheduled for April 2nd.
