After submitting the list of properties mentioned by the Bhujbals in their election affidavits, by AAP leader Anjali Damania and activist Sanjeev Khandekar, the Chief Minister’s office cleared the ACB file for probe

Adding to the troubles of former Public Works Department (PWD) minister Chhagan Bhujbal, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has received the go ahead from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ office to probe him and his family members in a disproportionate assets case.



Bhujbal’s three-acre farm in Nashik

ACB is already probing the Bhujbal family in connection with the construction of Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi and two other buildings in the city. Aam Aadmi Party leader Anjali Damania, and activist Sanjeev Khandekar had submitted a list of properties, to the tune of Rs 2,520 crore, to the Chief Minister, Enforcement Directorate, Director General of Police and ACB.



Building in Santacruz, La Petit Fleur, where the Bhujbals stay

The list includes properties in Nashik, Byculla, Bandra, Santacruz and Yeola, where is he currently the MLA (see table for the complete list submitted). In the complaint, the duo had mentioned that the Bhujbals owned several properties in Chhagan’s, his son Pankaj’s and his nephew Sameer’s names, along with their wives’.



Maruti Paradise in Navi Mumbai where the Bhujbals have several shops and flats in their name

They had also purchased some properties under names of employees, some of which received the contract to build Maharashtra Sadan. They alleged that the former PWD minister got kickbacks from all the companies that got contracts from his department.

“They have formed around 20 companies to transfer money and get government contracts without personally bidding. I personally think Bhujbal owns more property than Jayalalithaa, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Madhu Koda, and we have submitted the evidence of the properties to the ACB,” Damania told mid-day.

“They have formed Kolkata Pattern to convert black money into white,” said Khandekar, who showed photographs of Bhujbal’s properties along with documentation. “We used his election affidavits and found more details about his properties,” he added.

ACB Speak

“We have received the complaint from them and will investigate the matter,” Pravin Dixit, director general of police, ACB, said.