Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Nitesh Rane has claimed that Yuva Sena leader Varun Sardesai has allegedly demanded a ‘share in extortion’ from former police officer Sachin Vaze. Sardesai is the nephew of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s wife Rashmi. Sardesai has refuted all the allegations against him and said he would file a criminal defamation case against Rane.
Vaze was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on March 13 in connection with the alleged conspiracy to plant an explosive-laden sports utility vehicle near the residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani last month.
Calling for an inquiry against Sardesai, Rane said that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) should check the call records and WhatsApp chats between Sardesai and Vaze, as it will disclose the Sena leader’s “role” in the case.
In a press conference on Monday, Rane said that Vaze demanded an extortion amount of ₹150 crore from the bookies who were active during the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament between September and November last year.
“Sardesai contacted Vaze several times and demanded a share in the extortion money which the officer was collecting from the bookies. Vaze had threatened the bookies, who were operating from various hotels or flats, of action if they did not pay him. The total amount demanded by Vaze was ₹150 crore. I demand that NIA should interrogate Sardesai and probe the call records between him and Vaze. It will help the officers reach more details of the case that they are probing.”
Rane also alleged that CM has been shielding Vaze because of the former police officer’s links with his family members.
{{/usCountry}}Rane also alleged that CM has been shielding Vaze because of the former police officer’s links with his family members.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP legislator said that NIA has caught hold of the telegram chats between Vaze and a Shiv Sena leader from the western suburbs.
“Vaze had met the leader on Saturday morning, hours before his arrest by NIA and discussed the case against him,” Rane said.
Hitting back at Rane, Sardesai said that that he came from a “cultured and highly educated family” and that he would never do the things alleged by the BJP leader.
Flanked by Sena leader and minister Anil Parab, Sardesai provided his and his family’s educational background details to media.
“I gave you my background. Everybody here is well aware of the background that the Ranes come from as well as the gang they ran and the numerous cases of crimes including murders, kidnapping and extortion cases against them. The allegations which the BJP legislator made today are baseless, and therefore, I will file a criminal defamation against Rane. He can either apologise in seven days for the false allegations or face legal action and prove them,” said Sardesai.
He further said that his move to take the legal route was to stop the “damage to his rising political career” in the future. The Yuva Sena leader also said that BJP has a habit of making baseless allegations to damage political opponents and that Rane’s claims were “painful”.
“These allegations have no truth. Anybody gets up and makes allegation to damage someone,” he said.
Responding to Rane’s claim that Sardesai has been given Y-plus security cover, the Yuva Sena leader clarified that he has received X-category security.
Responding to Rane’s claims that Vaze had met a senior Sena leader, Parab said, “The responsibility of proving the allegations lies with the one who are levelling them. Investigating agencies have been probing the cases. They will probe these allegations too.”