06 July,2024 11:45 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Shiv Sena MLA Ravindra Waikar at his office in Jogeshwari. Pic/Atul Kamble
The Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has submitted a closure report in the Jogeshwari land case, which included Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Waikar, his wife, and four close acquaintances. This move comes after Waikar's recent victory in Mumbai's North West Lok Sabha seat after joining the Eknath Shinde-led group.
The lawsuit involved the development of a star hotel in Jogeshwari, which was allegedly done by altering land use conditions. The Mumbai Police EOW found that the allegation made by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was based on "incomplete information and misunderstanding", reported ANI.
According to the report, Waikar joined the Shiv Sena in March of this year, in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Waikar appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in January in connection with a money laundering case involving the Jogeshwari luxury hotel, which is now under development. Waikar's lawyers called the claims in the case being probed by Mumbai Police EOW as "bogus and baseless", the report added.
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Reportedly, Waikar promised complete cooperation with the ED's inquiry and that he would comply with any further requests from the agency. His lawyers, Mohan and Swati Tekavde supplied extensive material from 2001 to support Waikar's argument, claiming no involvement with tainted money or proceeds of crime.
The Enforcement Directorate had already conducted raids on seven locations linked to Waikar and his cronies. The ED's case, filed in November under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), accused him of a "Rs 500 crore 5-Star Hotel Scam" and it further alleged Waikar cheated the BMC by gaining permission to build a hotel on playground property, the ANI report further stated.
Ravindra Waikar won the Mumbai North-West constituency by 48 votes in a closely contested race against Uddhav Thackeray's nominee, Amol Kirtikar.
