Shiv Sena MLA Shahaji Bapu Patil denies links to cash seizure case
Shiv Sena MLA Shahaji Bapu Patil denies links to ₹5 crore cash seized from a car near Pune, claiming opposition is targeting him amid election tensions.
A day after unaccounted cash worth ₹5 crore was seized from an Innova at the Khed Shivapur toll plaza near Pune, Shiv Sena MLA Shahaji Bapu Patil from Sangola has denied any connection to the incident.
On Monday night, Pune rural police seized the cash from an Innova Crysta bearing registration number MH 45 AS 2526 at the Khed Shivapur toll post. According to the police sources, the car had four occupants, one of whom is considered close to Patil.
The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of Rajgad police station.
Pune rural police initially said that the four individuals — Sagar Patil, Rafiq Nadaf, Balasaheb Asabe, and the car’s driver, Shashikant Koli — from Sangola tehsil in Solapur district were detained in connection with the seizure. Later, they were released. Sangola is the constituency of MLA Patil
On Tuesday, Patil refuted the allegations, saying, “There is no connection between the cash seizure and me. I only found out about the incident through the media.”
The Sena leader claimed that the opposition parties were attempting to tarnish his image. “They know Shahaji Bapu is going to win this election. During my tenure, I carried out developmental works worth ₹5,000 crore, and the people are happy with my performance. Hence, they are targeting me with baseless accusations,” he said.
His response came after Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, criticising the Mahayuti alliance, alleged that the Innova in question belonged to a Shiv Sena MLA from Eknath Shinde’s faction. “A total of ₹15 crore was involved, of which ₹5 crore was seized. The remaining amount was already delivered to its intended destination,” Raut claimed.
He also suggested that each candidate had been promised ₹75 crore ahead of the elections, and the seizure represented the first instalment.
Another opposition leader and Karjat–Jamkhed MLA from NCP (SP) Rohit Pawar too pointed fingers at Patil. In a post on X, Rohit claimed that multiple vehicles were involved, but the police seized only one.
Patil said, “Raut has been targeting me for the last two to three months. He’s trying to stir up opposition against me in Sangola, especially after the public’s strong support for our faction following the revolt.”
There are also allegations that Nadaf, one of those detained earlier, has close ties to Patil. The MLA is known for his famous remark, “Kay Zhadi, Kay Dongar, Sagale Kase Ekdum Ok (Look at the trees and hills, nature is perfect here)”, which he reportedly made during a phone conversation with Nadaf, when he was among the 48 public representatives who stayed at Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati during the revolt led by Eknath Shinde in 2022.
“I don’t know who was in the car,” Patil said, adding, “I only heard their names from you. They might be from Sangola, but that doesn’t mean they are associated with me. Neither the police nor anyone involved has contacted me regarding the case.”
Pune rural police and election officials confirmed that ₹5 crore cash in ₹500 denomination currency notes was recovered from the vehicle. “During a routine check, we intercepted a suspicious car and found ₹5 crore in cash. The car, which was traveling from Mumbai, was heading toward Satara and Kolhapur,” said Pankaj Deshmukh, superintendent of police, Pune Rural.