HC notice to Fadnavis over Axis Bank account transfer issue

Nagpur, Mar 5 () The Bombay High Court here onThursday sought BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis's response to apetition questioning the transfer of salary accounts of thepolice department to Axis Bank, a private lender.

Fadnavis, a former chief minister, had been targetedover this issue earlier by his detractors as his wife AmrutaFadnavis holds a senior position with Axis Bank.

A division bench of Justices Ravi Deshpande and AmitBorkar also issued notices to the Additional Chief Secretaryof the home department of the Maharashtra government and theDirector General of Police, seeking affidavits-in-reply withineight weeks.

The petition filed by Mohnish Jabalpure alleged thatFadnavis misused his powers as chief minister to help AxisBank at the expense of public sector lenders.

It cited a circular issued by the then BJP-ledgovernment on May 11, 2017, which effected transfer of salaryaccounts of police personnel as well as beneficiaries of theSanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana to Axis Bank.

It caused a loss to nationalised banks which werehandling these accounts earlier, the plea alleged, seekingrevocation of the decision and a probe.

A senior official had stated last year that salaryaccounts of the police force were with UTI Bank -- laterrenamed as Axis Bank -- since 2005, much before Fadnavisbecame chief minister in 2014. CLS SPKRK KRK