Supremo club case: Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Ravindra Waikar skips ED summons

Shiv Sena legislator Ravindra Waikar did not appear before the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in a money-laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the construction of a luxury hotel on a civic plot in Mumbai. He has requested more time to appear. The agency will summon him again. The investigation is based on a case registered by the Mumbai police in 2023. Waikar and five others were booked for alleged cheating in relation to the misuse of the land plot.

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Ravindra Waikar did not turn up for his questioning before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday in the money-laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the construction of a luxury hotel on a civic plot in Jogeshwari in violation of an agreement with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

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Waikar has sought some time from the ED to appear before it and the same was communicated by his lawyer’s request to the agency, the source said. Earlier,

Similarly, on January 17, Waikar skipped the ED summons. The agency will soon summon Waikar again, the sources said.

The agency on January 9 conducted searches at seven premises in the city belonging to Waikar and his business partners, associated entities and connected individuals. The agency had recently also recorded the statement of civic officials who had dealt with the case that involved alleged misuse of the land plot. Waikar and the other accused have so far denied the existence of any foul play /irregularity in the case.

ED’s investigation against Waikar, who represents the Jogeshwari East constituency in the Maharashtra assembly, is based upon a case registered by the Mumbai police’ economic offences wing (EOW) in September 2023. It was alleged that the BMC had given the land to a club at Jogeshwari to maintain a facility for sporting and entertainment activities, but permission was later obtained to facilitate the construction of a luxury hotel there, which amounted to a violation of the agreement with the civic body on the utilisation of the land. The EOW had booked Waikar and five others for alleged cheating.

It was alleged that for a limited development of the land parcel, a tripartite agreement had been concluded in February 2004 among the plot owner, Waikar and four others, as well as the BMC. Under this agreement, 67% of the plot was to be kept for public utility, and the rest could be used for development by the owners/occupiers as per the 1991 Development Control Regulations (DCR), the sources said.

It was alleged that the accused persons obtained civic permission in 2021 to construct a hotel. The plot, which was reserved for entertainment and sports activities, was given to the accused by the BMC for free public utilisation, but they allegedly used it for commercial activities, according to the First Information Report of the EOW. Last June, the BMC cancelled its permission granted for the construction of the hotel. Waikar had approached the Bombay high court, challenging the civic action, but his petition was rejected last September.

Earlier, the EOW had conducted a preliminary enquiry into the alleged irregularities after a senior BJP leader alleged that the accused in the case illegally obtained approval for the construction of a hotel on a plot reserved for a garden. The EOW later sent notices to officials of the BMC’s Garden and Building Department asking them to join the investigation. Waikar has been an MLA from Jogeshwari East for three consecutive terms since 2009 and was a Cabinet minister between 2014 and 2019.