Firing a fresh salvo at senior NCP leaders Ajit Pawar and Sunil Tatkare, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, MP, on Friday submitted a new complaint against them to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Somaiya alleged that Pawar and Tatkare were involved in money laundering and other financial irregularities adding up to Rs 800 crore.

Somaiya in his complaint letter to the ACB said as per the direction of the Bombay High court several investigative agencies were asked to probe the irrigation scam. The BJP MP further alleged that the probe agencies have found several non-transparent transactions, including scandalous appointment and money laundering by FA Construction, allegedly belonging to Pawar and Tatkare.

"There are cash transactions of Rs 800 crore that were done from an account of FA Construction with the Union Bank. Any transaction amounting to more than one lakh rupees automatically comes under the Income Tax radar, and here we are taking about transactions worth Rs 800 crore," said Somaiya.

Somaiya further alleged that FA Construction was not legally qualified to bag tenders in the irrigation project as they in connivance with the Konkan Irrigation Development Corporation (KIDC) officials "at the behest of Pawar and Tatkare" had bagged more than three projects which was a clear violation of relevant guidelines.

Somaiya in his complaint to the ACB also alleged that Pawar and Tatkare in order to receive kickbacks had floated more than 300 bogus companies. "There are transactions which show submission of bogus bills of around Rs 160 crore which clearly shows that the fraud was done by both the NCP leaders," Somaiya said.

The BJP leader said that besides the ACB, he has written to the Enforcement Directorate, Union Bank, Income Tax and other related agencies to launch an investigation to "unearth the truth".

The irrigation scam, which was initially pegged at Rs 70,000 crore, had thrown up names of several ministers and senior officials linked to it.

Prominent among those were former irrigation ministers Ajit Pawar and Sunil Tatkare and senior officials working in the department.

The scam was unearthed after whistleblower, Vijay Pandhare, joined hands with Aam Aadmi Party leader Anjali Damania to get details under RTI which stated contracts being scaled up several times with allegations of not even 0.1 per cent work being completed.

Some of the contracts issued by Vidharbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) saw a sudden inflation in costs. Some of these, were alleged to have been done because of direct intervention of Pawar.

Though Pawar resigned, he was re-instated as the deputy chief minister after a white paper by Congress-NCP government, absolved him. It also stated that the irrigation work had been more than 0.1 per cent.

When contacted by dna for comment on Somaiya's allegations, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said it is a false propaganda against the party. "It's their government in power, let them conduct the inquiry, and if any one is found guilty, let he or she be punished but there should not a media trial. In the list of accusations made against us, it one more that they have added. We have full faith in the judiciary."