EOW files closure report in case against Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Waikar

The sitting MP was being probed in connection with the construction of a luxury hotel in Jogeshwari in violation of his agreement with the BMC.

Confirming the development, a senior police officer said, “The closure report was submitted in court on Thursday. We are waiting for further direction on our submission.”

In the C-summary report filed in the court, investigators alleged that the complaint, filed on behalf of the BMC, was based on ‘incomplete information and misunderstanding.’ The C-summary report is filed in cases where the FIR is found to be based on a mistake of fact.

“After recording the statements of the complaining authorities and the accused parties and also after scrutinising BMC’s documents, it appears that the issue of Waikar and other accused obtaining permission to construct the hotel under Development Control and Promotion Regulation, is not criminal in nature as it is rather an administrative complaint,” said an official adding, “It is still not clear whether the people accused in the case have received any benefits.”

Waikar, his wife Manisha, business partners Aasoo Nehlanai, Raj Lalchandani and Prithpal Bindra, and architect Arun Dubey were booked for criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy on the complaint filed by BMC sub-engineer Santosh Mandavkar. The case was initially registered at Azad Maidan police station, following which the investigation was transferred to the Economic Offence Wing.

According to the FIR, Waikar had entered into a contract with the BMC after getting permission to run a sports facility at the plot in Jogeshwari. The permission was granted when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was in power. In early 2023, a notice was issued to him for using a plot of land—reserved for a public garden—to construct a hotel.

The municipal corporation had also accused Waikar of concealing information on the plot which was reserved for public space, while seeking permission to construct a hotel.

Claiming that the scam is worth over Rs 500 crores, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had alleged that Waikar fraudulently obtained approval for construction of a five-star hotel on a plot reserved for a garden by using his political clout and causing a huge loss to the BMC.

Early this year, Somaiya had also tweeted, “CM Uddhav Thackarey in July 2021 gave illegal permission for 2 lacs square feet 5 star hotel at Jogeshwari on a BMC reserved playground.”

In October 2023, the Enforcement Directorate registered a case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on EOW’s FIR and subsequently in January, the agency raided seven places including Waikar’s residence and premises of other accused named in the case.

During the course of the probe, both Mumbai Police’s EOW and the Enforcement Directorate had summoned him for questioning.

On March 10, Waikar, who was considered a close associate of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, joined Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. It was days after the BMC— in the last week of February—informed the Supreme Court that a decision to cancel the permission of the construction of the five-star hotel was being reconsidered.

In June 2023, the BMC issued an order in which they declared that they were canceling the permission granted to Waikar to construct a five-star hotel in Jogeshwari.

Interestingly, in the middle of the Lok Sabha elections, Waikar had said, “I was already under pressure, but it increased more when my wife’s name was also being embroiled (in the legal case)… Then you had no option but to switch sides. The situation that destiny brought on me, should not befall on anyone.”

Waikar then contested from Mumbai North West seat in the Lok Sabha elections and defeated Sena UBT’s Amol Kirtikar by 48 votes, which was the lowest winning margin across the country.