Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA below the Enforcement Directorate (ED) lens Ravindra Waikar Sunday joined arms with Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde — a jolt to Uddhav Thackeray, who is understood to be near Waikar, forward of the Lok Sabha elections.
Jogeshwari MLA Waikar was below the scanner of the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and the ED in reference to the proposed development of a luxurious resort within the metropolis on a plot reserved by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for a backyard.
There has lengthy been hypothesis that Waikar could be becoming a member of Shinde’s Sena. Just a few weeks in the past, the BMC had filed an affidavit within the Supreme Court, expressing its willingness to rethink Waikar’s case.
Interestingly, Uddhav was in Waikar’s constituency on Saturday, assembly Sena employees. Waikar was current, however modified camps inside 24 hours.
Upon becoming a member of the Shinde Sena, Waikar instructed the media he’s satisfied that if he has to get the developmental work performed in his constituency, he needs to be within the authorities.
“Shinde is taking quick decisions on development works. If these works are not completed, I cannot face my people. My reasons for joining Shiv Sena are different. We need Rs 173 crore for the 45-km Aarey road. The old and dilapidated PMGP colony and Sarvodaya Nagar in my constituency need to be redeveloped. I had approached courts against unequal distribution of funds. Now I am convinced there is no alternative to being in power to get people’s work done,” he stated.
After Waikar switched sides, Rajya Sabha MP of Shiv Sena (UBT) Sanjay Raut requested how BJP and its companions are inducting leaders towards whom there are corruption allegations.
Speaking to the media Monday, he stated, “When leaders are with us, allegations are made, charges are framed, they are threatened with arrest, families are being pressured. And when the person switches sides, he automatically becomes pure and pious. This is what happened with Waikar.”
Raut added: “But it is embarrassing for BJP and their alliance partners as they had until yesterday threatened to put Waikar in jail. What happened to those allegations now?”
At a Goregaon rally Sunday, whereas assembly social gathering employees, Uddhav Thackeray stated, “Even if anyone defects, that will not impact the strength of the party as common Shiv Sainiks are with him. Those going with Shinde will have to live with a label of traitors.”
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What is the ED’s case towards Waikar
The ED case towards Waikar is predicated on an FIR registered by the Mumbai Police’s EOW final September at Azad Maidan police station on a grievance by a BMC worker. The FIR was registered after the EOW carried out a preliminary enquiry into alleged irregularities after BJP chief Kirit Somaiya claimed Waikar illegally obtained approval for the development of a resort on a plot reserved for a backyard.
According to the FIR (seen by ThePrint), Waikar, his spouse Manisha Waikar, and three others together with Mahal Pictures (unique land-owner) and BMC entered right into a tripartite settlement in February 2004 over this Jogeshwari plot.
According to the event management guidelines, the BMC had reserved 67 p.c of the land for open area whereas the remaining 33 p.c could possibly be used for leisure use.
The settlement specified that the proprietor/occupant couldn’t ask for or declare any compensation or TDR for the land.
Waikar then constructed the Supremo Club on the 33 p.c portion of the plot, whereas the permission was for establishing a badminton membership, based on the FIR.
In the FIR, it’s alleged that Waikar and his companions made financial advantages off the membership. On the remaining 67 p.c portion of the plot, a garden was constructed, which was then given for weddings and different occasions, once more resulting in income off of land reserved for public use, the FIR additional states.
In 2017, the Development Plan 2034 kicked in. According to the brand new guidelines, Waikar was entitled to make use of the ground area index (FSI) by handing over the 70 p.c of the plot to the BMC.
The FIR states that Waikar determined to demolish the Supremo Club and in January 2021 — when he was guardian minister within the then Maha Vikas Aghadi authorities — he sought permission from the BMC to construct a 14 flooring 5-star luxurious resort on the 30 p.c portion of the plot, whereas giving 70 p.c to the BMC. He obtained the permission that very same 12 months.
However in June 2023, by which era the state authorities had modified, the BMC reneged and denied this permission.
In September final 12 months, the EOW booked Ravindra Waikar and 5 others together with his spouse Manisha below IPC sections for dishonest, prison breach of belief, prison conspiracy and dishonestly inducing supply of property.
In January, ED had searched seven places together with premises of Waikar and his aides as a part of the investigation. He was given a number of summons for questioning and on 29 January, he was questioned for 9 hours.
After BMC denied him permission for the resort development, he approached the Bombay High Court however misplaced his case. He then knocked on the doorways of the Supreme Court.
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BMC’s ‘change of heart’
As the choice was pending, the BMC had a sudden change of stance and submitted an affidavit within the apex courtroom saying that it might withdraw its 15 June 2023 revocation order and rethink the case, amounting to hypothesis that Waikar would change events.
A 26 February order of the Supreme Court — accessed by ThePrint — acknowledged that “the corporation being the planning authority is willing to withdraw the revocation order dated 15.06.2023 and would consider the case of the petitioner (in this case Ravindra Waikar) in view of the directions of the Urban Development department of the State of Maharashtra.”
Last month, Sanjay Raut had claimed that Waikar was being pressured and threatened with arrest if he didn’t depart the social gathering. However, he had additionally expressed belief in Waikar.
“This is a kind of terrorism. Such kind of politics has never taken place. But he is a loyal Shiv Sainik and would never succumb to such pressure. We are with him,” Raut had written on X.
Ravindra Waikar and Uddhav Thackeray
Waikar, 65, is a three-time MLA from Jogeshwari space within the western suburbs of Mumbai. He began as a grassroots Shiv Sainik within the Eighties and have become a corporator from the realm for 4 consecutive phrases.
Between 2006 and 2009, he served as chairman of the standing committee of the BMC earlier than turning into MLA in 2009, 2014, after which in 2019.
He held the portfolio of Minister of State (MoS) for Housing and Higher and Technical Education from 2015 to 2019 within the BJP-Shiv Sena authorities led by Devendra Fadnavis.
Later, within the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA authorities, he was the guardian minister of his dwelling district Ratnagiri.
Known to be near Uddhav, he’s stated to have constructed the organisational construction of the Shiv Sena and over time developed shut relations with the Thackerays.
BJP chief Kirit Somaiya had earlier additionally alleged irregularities over the development of 19 bungalows in Korlai village in Murud Taluka of Raigad district. He had claimed it had hyperlinks with the Thackerays and Waikars.
The BJP chief had claimed that Rashmi Thackeray and Manisha Ravindra Waikar collectively paid the property tax on the bungalows on 12 November, 2020.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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