Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat reacts to viral ‘cash bag’ video: ‘Spying on us’

Sanjay Shirsat on Thursday said that he received a notice from the income-tax department seeking an explanation of the growth of his assets.

Updated on: Jul 11, 2025, 18:59:05 IST

By HT News Desk

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Maharashtra minister Sanjay Shirsat has broken his silence after a purported video of him smoking in a hotel room with what is being claimed to be a bag stuffed with cash lying around surfaced online, calling it a “well-thought-out conspiracy” to malign his reputation.

Sanjay Shirsat of the Eknath Shinde-led faction of Shiv Sena has yet to respond publicly to the allegations. (X)

“This is a well-thought-out conspiracy. I am sitting comfortably in my house, and my dog is sitting as well. Someone has recorded a video of this, which suggests they were spying on us. We are such people that anyone who visits our home eats food and drinks tea. It is our responsibility to supervise the workers. There might be an agent among them, but we do not worry about it, nor have we ever seen anything suspicious,” ANI news agency posted a video of Shirsat saying.

“Have you seen someone living in the house openly sitting beside money? This is unusual. But we will definitely respond to this conspiracy,” he added.

Also Read | Mumbai Police to file case against Sena ‘slapgate’ MLA Sanjay Gaikwad

The viral video clip came a day after the Sena leader was served an income tax notice over his rapid financial growth. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut first posted it on social media, launching a scathing attack on deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The viral video clip came a day after the Sena leader was served an income tax notice over his rapid financial growth. (X)

"I feel pity for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis! How many more times will he just sit and watch his reputation being torn to shreds? Helplessness has another name: Fadnavis!" Raut captioned the video, pulling no punches in his criticism.

HT cannot independently verify the authenticity and context of the video, but it has gone viral on social media and sparked massive outrage in the state.

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Sanjay Shirsat, a prominent face of the Eknath Shinde-led faction of Shiv Sena, has yet to respond publicly to the allegations.

Sanjay Shirsat receives an IT notice

The income tax notice issued to him earlier this week reportedly seeks clarification over his dramatic surge in wealth over a short period.

Maharashtra's Minister for Social Justice, Sanjay Shirsat, said on Thursday that he received a notice from the income-tax department seeking an explanation of the growth of his assets between the 2019 and 2024 Assembly polls.

Also Read | Eknath Shinde in Delhi amid a swirl of rumours and minister's income tax notice

Sources told PTI that the notice to Shirsat was triggered by the I-T department's automated CASS technology for the assessment year 2024-25.

The sources said the CASS, or computer-assisted scrutiny selection, is carried out based on certain pre-defined risk parameters and does not involve human intervention.

They said the scrutiny notice could be related to an "exemption" issue, and once the assessee furnishes a reply, it will be finalised under the tax department's faceless assessment scheme.

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HT News Desk
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