A Gujarat-based hacker who claims to have obtained call records which purportedly show calls from the gangster Dawood Ibrahim's house to the Maharashtra Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse, today sought a CBI probe, while the opposition Congress sought the BJP leader's dismissal.
Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam said a party delegation met Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and demanded Khadse's dismissal over the recent multiple allegations.
State BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari defended Khadse over the allegation about a three-acre piece of land bought by Khadse's family at Bhosari near Pune. Bhandari said that Shiv Sena leader and Industries minister Subhash Desai's statement that the land belonged to Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation was "based on incomplete information" and it had not been acquired.
In the Bombay High Court, Vadodara-based hacker Manish Bhangale's petition today came up. Bhangale had hacked the call records of Dawood's house which formed the basis of allegation levelled against Khadse by AAP two weeks back.
Bhangale's lawyer today demanded urgent hearing, saying his client was receiving death threats. He also demanded a CBI probe against Khadse. The HC, however, said it would be heard after the summer vacation.
"Instead of recording statements and perusing evidence, the state government and (Mumbai) police have shown haste in giving clean chit to the minister. The global data of telephone numbers gathered by me (petitioner) from the telephone bills of Dawood Ibrahim has the potential of exposing his financial empire ranging from films to cricket betting," the petition claims.
In Pune, Hemant Gavande, a local builder who first
levelled allegations against Khadse with regard to the MIDC land, today approached the police seeking action against the minister.
Gavande has alleged that a 3-acre plot in Bhosari MIDC was bought by Khadse's wife and son-in-law for just Rs 3.75 crore from its original owner, while its market value was Rs 40 crore.
Defending the deal, Khadse has earlier claimed the land was never acquired by MIDC from its original owner.
Gavande today said that he was approaching the police with a complaint because MIDC, a state agency, itself was not going to the police.
Bundgarden police station's inspector Ajit Chaudhary said necessary action will be taken in the case after due inquiry.
Gavande alleges that the purchase was made so as to pocket the hefty compensation which the buyer would get (from MIDC/Government) under the 2013 land acquisition act.
Khadse has denied the allegations, both in MIDC land matter as well as the 'calls from Dawood' issue. As to the latter, he has said that his mobile number where the alleged calls from Dawood's Karachi house were made was not in operation for the past one year.
