Mumbai: A special ACB court acquitted 63-year-old BMC engineer Amol Sawant and his wife Pooja in a 2011 disproportionate assets case.
Amol, a junior engineer since 1984, was initially accused of demanding bribes, leading to a raid on his residence. The prosecution claimed the couple held assets worth Rs81.80 lakhs, 225.14% of their income, alleging Pooja had no independent income.
A preliminary inquiry (1984–2008) calculated Amol’s income at Rs40.41 lakhs, expenditure at Rs34.46 lakhs, and assets at Rs73.67 lakhs, while Pooja’s income was Rs17.46 lakhs with assets worth Rs27.55 lakhs.
A detailed investigation later showed their combined income as Rs40.50 lakhs, expenditure at Rs48.24 lakhs, and assets at Rs73.67 lakhs.
The defense, led by Kunal Kamble, argued the prosecution miscalculated figures, ignored Pooja’s income from tuitions and a home-based beauty parlor, and overvalued her gold ornaments and a property loan. The court upheld Pooja’s income, noting that home tutoring and beautician services rely on personal expertise, not formal licensing, and her consistent income tax filings supported her claims. The court criticised the investigating officer’s failure to consider these factors, leading to the couple’s acquittal.
