Bank lockers of PWD engineer's wife yield Rs 57 lakh, gold

Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) today recovered cash worth Rs 57,69,000 and over 9 Kg of gold from two bank lockers of Swati Chikhlikar, wife of suspended PWD executive engineer (Nashik north) Satish Chikhlikar, besides 5 Kg of silver from another locker in her name.
The seizure is collectively estimated over Rs 3,27,29,000, according to a senior ACB officer.
"ACB seized cash of Rs 57,69,000, 9.558 kg of gold, including gold biscuits weighing 6.312 kg and gold ornaments of 3.246 kg, having a total value of Rs 2.67 crore from two lockers of the Ahmednagar Merchants Co-operative Bank, which are in name of Swati Chikhlikar", ACB SP Shashikant Mahavarkar told reporters here.

Besides, 5.66 kg of silver worth Rs 2.60 lakh was recovered from another locker in Swati's name at Ahmednagar branch of the State Bank of Hyderabad.
"The total value of the cash, gold and silver is estimated over Rs 3,27,29,000", the SP said.
With this seizure, the total value of allegedly ill-gotten assets of the tainted executive engineer has mounted to Rs 17,55,80,292, the officer said.

Responding to a query, Mahavarkar said Swati could be made a co-accused in the bribery scandal if it is established during investigation that she abetted her husband in the crime.
Chikhlikar and his colleague PWD Section Engineer Jagdish Wagh were caught red-handed by ACB on April 30 for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 22,000 from a complainant in exchange of awarding a road maintenance contract.

Mahavarkar said Wagh's unearthed assets included Rs 47.13 lakh cash, 1,117 gram gold worth Rs 31.58 lakh, Rs 8 lakh in fixed deposits and document of plots totalling Rs 86.71 lakh.
A local court had remanded the duo in ACB custody which is expiring tomorrow.