Nagpur: The Deputy Solicitor General of India (DSGI) on Monday informed the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is ready to record the statement of veteran Homeopath Dr. Mehboob Chimthanawala, who is a whistleblower in unearthing the multi-crore betel nut smuggling, in Nagpur and would not summon the whistleblower to Mumbai.
The ED has summoned the veteran Homeopath Dr. Chimthanawala to Mumbai for seeking information. The ED wanted Dr. Chimthanawala to disclose information about the betel nut traders, transporters and godowns of the smugglers. Expressing concern over been summoned by ED, the whistleblower of the betel nut smuggling moved to the Court, with the plea that the entire information that he has gathered as a researcher has been submitted to the Court and now it is the duty of the agencies to investigate and find out the real culprits behind the whole scam and it is not possible for the Homeopath to go everywhere and dig out the latest information.
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Friday 07March 2025
The veteran homeopath further informed the Court that if still the ED wants any cooperation from him in the matter, he is ready to fully cooperate, but he may not be summoned to Mumbai and he is ready to provide assistance in Nagpur. Responding to the said plea, the ED represented by the DSGI informed the Court that they are ready to record the statement of veteran Homeopath in Nagpur and would not summon the whistle blower to Mumbai.
In 2016, Dr. Chimthanawala unearthed the entire Betel Nut Smuggling Scam by filing a Public Interest Litigation before the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court. Taking strict note of the ongoing state of affairs, the High Court passed several strict orders and directions and took away the probe from Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (D.R.I.), and handed over the probe to the CBI.
The Nagpur High Court further directed the C.B.I. to register F.I.R. against the persons involved in Betel Nut Smuggling and resultantly, the C.B.I. registered offence against several persons including some government officials from DRI, Customs Department, etc. also.
Last month, it seems that the said investigation was either taken over by the ED or it has started a parallel investigation and ED has carried out several raids in Nagpur and Mumbai. ED has also seized unaccounted Betel Nuts worth crores.
And it is the matter wherein 2 Senior Judges of the Nagpur High Court, Justice A.S. Chandurkar and Justice Rohit Deo have recused to hear the matter and finally notices came to be issued by Justice Vinay Joshi and Justice Valmiki Sa Menezes to Joint Director, ED, Mumbai Zone II and Deputy Director, ED, Nagpur Sub Zone.
The C.B.I. has also filed a report in respect of the investigation done by it so far, which is lying before the Court in a sealed envelope.
Adv. Raspal Singh Renu assisted by Adv. Satpal S. Renu & Adv. Rajenderpal S. Renu appeared for the veteran Homeopath. Adv. Nandesh Deshpande, DSGI, appeared for ED.
