PUNE, June 8: Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare will take legal recourse in the Shashikant Sutar case. The former agriculture minister has been accused of amassing wealth through ``corrupt means''.

Speaking at a meeting of lawyers in Pune and Ahmednagar at Ralegan Siddhi on Saturday, Hazare raised his doubts about Sutar's assets. The one-man commission headed by retired Justice S W Puranik had indicted Sutar for amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Earlier, a panel of lawyers scrutinising the cases of alleged corruption received by the crusader found very few genuine instances.

About 150 cases were examined by a panel of lawyers from Pune and Ahmednagar at a marathon session. They claimed that a number of allegations resulted from political or personal vendettas. Those cases which were found to be genuine, prima fiecie, would be sent to the anti corruption bureau for further investigations, Hazare said.

Forty-one complaints from Pune district besides 29 in Thane, 13 in Mumbai, 10 in Kolhapur, seven each from Sangli and Raigad, five complaints each from Solapur and Ratnagiri and three from Sindhudurg district were scrutinised for suitable actions during the meeting.

Hazare, however, said that he had received about 8000 cases of alleged corruption, during the past few months, the scrutiny of which was under way. Some of these cases would be sent to the State Government for suitable action while the Bhrashtachar Virodhi Janaandolan was planning to file court cases.

Speaking to The Indian Express, the anti-corruption crusader remained philosophical about his exchanges with Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray. On the criticism he has been facing for agreeing to meet Thackeray at the instance of the Sena chief's nephew Raj Thackeray, the social worker said, ``I'm an activist. I have nothing to gain out of the crusade against corruption. If the Government accepts all my conditions, I don't find anything wrong in cooperating (with the Government).''

Hazare virtually lashed out against his critics in his modest-yet-firm style saying that not everybody translated their words into action. He was least bothered about criticism, the crusader said adding,`` Lok ghodyavarhi basu det nahit aani payeehi chalu det nahit'' (Sometimes critics don't allow you to ride a horse as well as be on your own feet). The frail activist admitted that the model village project of the State Government has lost its pace.

He would not go to the Government begging, he said reiterating that he would be launching a similar scheme with help of a non governmental organisation and a group of philanthropists.

Activists related to his project from across Maharashtra have been asked to identify the villages complying his five pre-conditions of prohibition, ban on grazing and tree felling, family planning and unity amongst the villagers, he said.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.