Maharashtra sadan scam: Bhujbal arrest a major setback for NCP

Police stand guard outside the ED office in Ballard Pier Monday everning.Ganesh Shirsekar

Senior NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal’s arrest by the enforcement directorate is a setback to the party struggling to refurbish its public image after the major drubbing it received in the 2014 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Already, two senior leaders Ajit Pawar and state party chief Sunil Tatkare are facing investigation in various irrigation projects by the anti-corruption bureau (ACB).

The arrest of Bhujbal would also mark the decline of a political career of the fiery politician who rose from BMC corporator to the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra in a span of four decades. Bhujbal’s nephew Sameer is already under arrest on graft charges.

At 68, Bhujbal, elected from Nashik assembly constituency, commanded a position both in the party and outside for his street smart brand of politics.

Bhujbal represented the Other Backward Community face of the NCP in Maharashtra. Cutting across party lines, he had for the last four decades tried to position himself as a national OBC leader for which he floated a separate organisation — Samata Parishad.

Since 2002, Bhujbal has often landed himself in trouble beginning with the multi-crore fake Telgi stamp case that saw Pawar senior divesting him of the important home portfolio in Congress-NCP government. Whether it was charges of corruption or in-built political tussle, Maratha versus OBC, Bhujbal had topsy turvy relations with leaders within the NCP. However, his administrative experience along with mass base often saw him taking the centre stage of politics. NCP leader Jayant Patil said, “The arrest of Bhujbal is shocking and smacks of political conspiracy. At a time when he was cooperating in the investigation his arrest was unfortunate.”

However, BJP Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar refuted the charge arguing, “The arrest has been done by ED, which is a central agency probing the case. It has nothing to do with politics or state government.” Senior NCP leaders Ajit Pawar, Sunil Tatkare and Dilip Walse-Patil were huddled in a meeting late night to discuss the developments which also alarmed others facing the anti-corruption bureau investigation in the irrigation scam.

In late 1960s, Bhujbal as a young college student joined the Shiv Sena mesmerised by the clarion call given by late Bal Thackeray who floated the Shiv Sena. Hailing from a humble background selling vegetable in Byculla market, Bhujbal completed his diploma in engineering from VJTI.

In 1973, he was elected corporator in BMC. In 1985, he become the Shiv Sena MLA representing Mazgaon in Mumbai. A diehard sainik, he played an important role in the growth of Sena. In 1991, Bhujbal switched loyalties by breaking away from Sena to join the Congress under Sharad Pawar. In 1999, when Pawar split from the Congress to form NCP, Bhujbal followed the Maratha leader.

Bhujbal held the ministerial portfolio in Congress-NCP government between 1999 to 2014. He was deputy chief minister and also held the important home portfolio. However, Telgi stamp scam saw NCP divesting him of the home portfolio. He was the longest serving public works department minister between 2004 and 2014 in Congress-NCP government.

Known as a daredevil politician, he caught the Shiv Sena-BJP government by the horns as opposition leader during 1995-1999. When in the government after 1999, Bhujbal also had taken the challenge to summon Bal Thackeray in a case for instigating riots.

According to AAP spokesperson Preeti Menon, “We had pursued the corruption case and feel relieved as truth has prevailed. We hope all those corrupt also are punished.”

Cases against the Bhujbals 

JUNE 8, 2015:
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Maharashtra Police registers an FIR against Chhagan Bhujbal and five others over irregularities in allotment of a prime plot of land in Kalina. An inquiry had been initiated on December 18, 2014 on the orders of the Bombay High Court while it was hearing a PIL on alleged irregularities committed by Bhujbal. An FIR was registered after the agency found evidence that Bhujbal misused his official position as PWD minister to award a contract to IndiaBulls without a fair tender process. The plot, a part of Mumbai University campus land in Kalina, was given to Indiabulls for construction of luxury apartments with a Central Library to be constructed on a part of the plot. The PIL, filed by Anjali Damania of AAP, alleged that Bhujbal received a kickback of Rs 2.5 crore in the deal.

June 11, 2015:
Three days later, the agency files a second FIR against Chhagan Bhujbal, his son Pankaj and nephew Samir along with 14 others in another scam now known as the Maharashtra Sadan scam. The matter was first brought to the notice of the ACB in 2012 by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya who sought an inquiry against Bhujbal in the case. The allegations were regarding violations in awarding a contract for construction of a new Maharashtra Sadan, the state government guest house, in New Delhi. Somaiya was supported by AAP leader Anjali Damania, who later filed a complaint with the state ACB contending corruption and large-scale irregularities in construction of the new Maharashtra Sadan by the PWD headed by Bhujbal. The new Maharashtra Sadan was built at a cost of Rs 100 crore when the Congress-NCP coalition was in power in Maharashtra.

June 13, 2015:
The Navi Mumbai police registers a second FIR against his son Pankaj and nephew Sameer Bhujbal for alleged fraud in a housing society case. On a complaint of alleged cheating and criminal breach of trust under the Indian Penal Code in connection with a matter pertaining to Hex World Housing Society in Kharghar, the two were booked for a case dating back to 2009, where a company owned by Pankaj and Sameer was accused of collecting around Rs 44 crore from a large group of people for flats in a new project. The promise was not fulfilled.

June 17, 2015:
While the ACB cases were under the Prevention of Corruption Act, central agency ED also started a probe in a PMLA case filed against Chhagan Bhujbal and his kin for money laundering on June 17, 2015. They started the probe on the same lines like the ACB but under a new order for raids across Bhujbal’s properties. This was after the Maharashtra ACB searched 26 properties of Chhagan Bhujbal. The ED would later attach properties worth Rs 280 crore.