Insiders say sale deal on, but hoteliers believed to be interested in Koregaon Park joint claim they are only taking over its management
Insiders say sale deal on, but hoteliers believed to be interested in Koregaon Park joint claim they are only taking over its managementu00a0u00a0
Just two weeks before the first anniversary of the bomb blast that struck the famous German Bakery in Koregaon Park, it is learnt that owner Smita Kharose has decided to hand over the bakery to two hoteliers.
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| Year of change: The German Bakery in Koregaon Park, which was destroyed in a blast on February 13 last year and is now ready to open after extensive renovation. File pic |
While sources said Kharose was going to sell the bakery, the hoteliers said to be interested in the deal are claiming that only the management will be handed over to them.
The bakery was scheduled to reopen on February 13, the first anniversary of the terror attack that completely destroyed the joint.
A few months ago, Kharose received a compensation of Rs 14.23 lakh from the state government to rebuild the bakery. In the meanwhile, Kharose developed differences with her manager Gopal Kirkee, and he was shown the door in September.
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New owners?A source said Vijay Shewale and Rajan Udane, who are business partners, were willing to take over the bakery.
"Vijay Shewale is the brother of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former mayor Suresh Shewale.
Udane is the relative of Vijay Shewale," said the source. "Shewale and Udane own about six hotels and restaurants in and around Pune city, including Hotel Kamini in Chinchwad and Hotel Shreeman in Kothrud."
Shewale said, "We are helping the Kharose family to recover from the loss they have suffered in the entire year. At this moment I can't comment on the handover of the bakery. All I will say is we will stand by Kharose."
Udane said, "At the moment I can only say that rumours are floating. If anything happens, I will be the first one to announce the deal."
Shewale and Udane said the Kharose family would be a part of any new development.
"We thought of reopening the bakery on February 13, but some interior work is pending," Udane said.
Before the latest development, the owners of the bakery had decided to change the management and outsource the running of the joint to local businessmen Wilson Murthy and Kalyan Bafale. Murthy was the marketing in-charge of the bakery and Kharose had approached him to run it, while Bafale was supposed to advice on financial and legal matters.
Feeling cheatedGeneral secretary of NCP city youth wing Yogesh Pingle, who had helped Kharose get the compensation sanctioned from the state government, confirmed the deal to sell the bakery was in process.
"The Kharose family was given a recommendation letter from former mayor and MLA Vandana Chavan, which was later handed over to Guardian Minister and present Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and it helped them get the compensation of Rs 14.23 lakh from the government," Pingle said. "When I got to know about the sale deal, I and hundreds of citizens feel cheated."
German Bakery's old manager Gopal Kirkee, who plans to open a similar bakery in Koregaon Park, said, "I feel cheated and I now probably know the reason why I was kicked out and didn't get a penny from the Kharose family after the compensation was issued."
