Have 'bagful of evidence' on Shirsat in land 'scam', claims Rohit Pawar; Bhujbal says verify it

Mumbai: NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar on Monday demanded the resignation of Maharashtra Sanjay Shirsat within two days, claiming he has "a bagful of evidence" regarding the latter's involvement in a land allotment scam in Navi Mumbai.

The Opposition MLA reiterated his claim that Shirsat, during his tenure as CIDCO chairman in early 2024, allotted land worth more than Rs 5,000 crore to a Navi Mumbai-based family after bypassing legal procedures.

There was no immediate reaction from Shirsat, a minister from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, but his cabinet colleague Chhagan Bhujbal of the NCP said the "proof" related to the alleged scam needs to be verified.

Shirsat had last week asked Pawar to provide proof to back his allegation that irregularities were committed in land allotment when he headed the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO).

Speaking to reporters, Pawar said he has "a bagful of evidence", comprising nearly 12,000 pages, including documents such as the Bivalkar family's 1993 application, four rejection orders by the CIDCO, reports of the Law and Judiciary Department, communications from the Urban Development Department, CIDCO resolutions, and affidavits filed in the Supreme Court.

"CIDCO rejected the Bivalkars' claims four times — in 1994, 1995 and in 2010. Yet, Shirsat, while holding office, overruled these rejections and enabled the allotment. This is a scam worth thousands of crores. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had asked us to produce evidence, and today, we have presented it to him. The ball is now in his court," Pawar claimed.

He alleged that the Bivalkars had already sold the land worth Rs 5,000 crore to builders.

The NCP (SP) leader also questioned how land could be allotted while the case was pending before the Supreme Court.

"This is not only a violation of judicial orders but also a betrayal of public trust. The 61,000 sq metre plot must be frozen immediately, and the 8,000 sq metre plot already allotted to a private individual must be taken back," he demanded.

Hitting out at Shirsat, Pawar said, "Such a corrupt minister has no right to remain in office. If the government needs money, let it come to the treasury. Why should land worth crores be given away? We have submitted proof in writing, and if Shirsat is not removed within two days, we will decide our next course of action after Ganesh Chaturthi." Pawar also took a swipe at Deputy CM Eknath Shinde for mocking his allegations.

"They say Mahadev should give us wisdom. Mahadev has indeed given us wisdom, and we have used it to expose this corruption," he said.

Reacting to the allegations levelled against Shirsat by Pawar, Food and Civil Supplies minister Bhujbal said the "proof" which the NCP (SP) legislator claims to possess needs to be verified and checked if it has any substance.

"There are several platforms to take cases to their logical end like approaching courts instead of talking about them in public," Bhujbal maintained.

Earlier this month, Pawar claimed the entire episode dates back to the British era, when more than 4,000 acres of land in present-day Navi Mumbai and its surrounding areas were awarded to members of the Bivalkar family by the colonial rulers as a political grant for aiding them against the Maratha empire.