MUMBAI: Mumbai police have registered an FIR against BJP MLC Pravin Darekar in connection with an alleged bank scam case, an official said on Tuesday.
The FIR against leader of opposition in the state Legislative Council was registered on Monday under various IPC sections, including 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 120-b (criminal conspiracy) following a complaint by Aam Aadmi Party functionary Dhananjay Shinde.
The complainant alleged that Darekar posed as a labourer, which was later found wrong.
He was the Mumbai Bank chairman from 2011 to 2021 and allegedly indulged in various financial irregularities, he said.
Shinde said he approached the MRA Marg police here on January 8 to lodge an FIR against Darekar for allegedly cheating people, the bank and the cooperative department.
He claimed that this was a "scam of more than Rs 2,000" and that they will approach the police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in this connection.
As soon as the House assembled for the day on Tuesday, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis sought to know how many members of the legislature were heading labour organisations.
When Fadnavis was raising this issue, Shiv Sena MLA Balaji Kalyankar demanded that farmers' electricity connections, snapped for non-payment of dues, be restored.
Amid noisy scenes from members of both the opposition and treasury benches, the House had to be adjourned twice - first for five minutes and later for 15 minutes.
After the second adjournment, BJP members were in the well of the House shouting slogans against the state Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
Mahesh Shinde and Balaji Kalyankar (both Shiv Sena) demanded the government restore electricity to transformers of the farmers.
State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anil Parab said the issue will be debated in the House.
To this, Fadnavis wondered what debate the government wants to conduct when Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's assurance, that power connections will not be cut, was not being followed.
"Not just the opposition, but even the treasury benches are demanding that electricity of farmers shouldn't be disconnected. Farmers are committing suicide every day," he said.
The Chair then adjourned the House till 12 noon.
When the House reassembled after the third adjournment, BJP members again went into the well of the House and shouted slogans against the government.
Fadnavis demanded that the state government immediately make an announcement on the issue of power supply to farmers.
He stated that Ajit Pawar had said farmers' power connections will not be cut till May this year.
Still, his assurance is not being followed and farmers are committing suicide, the BJP leader said.
He said if the issue of farmers' unrest is not highlighted in the Assembly, the cultivators will not forgive the elected representatives.
Amid the noisy scenes, the Lower House was then adjourned for the fourth time till 1 pm.
The issue of the FIR against Darekar also figured in the Legislative Council, which was also adjourned for some time after the BJP members shouted slogans against the MVA government.
BJP MLC Bhai Girkar said, "The FIR against Darekar is an attempt to muzzle the voice of the opposition. The MVA government has taken action against him because it is being cornered for of its own wrongdoings and various scandals that the BJP is exposing."
Amid the din in the Council, Chairman Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar adjourned the House for 25 minutes.
Fadnavis on Monday accused the MVA government of appointing people with links to fugitive gangster and terrorist Dawood Ibrahim on the state's Waqf Board, a charge rejected by ruling coalition partner NCP which alleged that an office-bearer mentioned by him was named to the board when the BJP was in power.
Speaking in the Assembly, Fadnavis said a pen drive he had submitted contained a conversation between Waqf Board members Mohammad Arshad Khan and Mudasir Lambe.
During the conversation, Lambe claimed his father-in-law was an associate of Ibrahim, while Khan said his uncle was part of the underworld, Fadnavis told the House.
State home minister Dilip Walse Patil told the Lower House that Lambe was not appointed by MVA on the Waqf Board.
"He is an elected member as of August 30, 2019. We will see how action can be taken against him," he added.
Fadnavis alleged that Khan is in jail, while Lambe is outside despite facing rape charges.
The daughter of Cabinet Minister Nawab Malik, who handles the Waqf department and who is currently in jail, repudiated Fadnavis's allegation.
Sana Malik-Shaikh countered Fadnavis, saying it was the previous government in the state led by him (2014-19) that appointed Lambe, whom the BJP leader accused of having links with Ibrahim, on the Board.
Sana Malik-Shaikh, also the Maharashtra unit vice-president of Rashtravadi Yuvati Congress, a wing of the NCP, shared Lambe's picture with Fadnavis on Twitter as she hit back at the former chief minister.
Latching onto her claim, Maharashtra Congress general secretary Sachin Sawant demanded an investigation into "the BJP's connection with so-called Dr Lambe" and urged Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil to take note of the new findings.
Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik, a senior NCP leader, is at present in judicial custody in connection with an alleged money-laundering probe linked to the activities of Ibrahim.
"Half Truth is Full Lie!! Dr. Lambe was appointed a Waqf Board member by Fadnavis/BJP govt on 13 Sept 2019. Maha Vikas Aghadi govt was established in November 2019. My father got Minority/Waqf Dept in the first week of Jan 2020. @Dev_Fadnavis with D-Gang Relative & a Rape Accused," Sana Malik-Shaikh tweeted.
Subsequently, Sawant demanded the home minister take note of the "new findings".
"In lights of the new facts cited by @sanamalikshaikh and serious allegations of LOP @Dev_Fadnavis ji an investigation wrt connection of bjp with so called Dr. Lambe needs to be done. I urge @Dwalsepatil ji who has just given clarification on this to take note of the new findings," Sawant tweeted.
The Waqf Board is a statutory body that looks after the maintenance and use of Islamic buildings, institutions and lands.
The NCP is a key constituent of the Shiv Sena-led MVA government.
As per officials, Lambe is out on anticipatory bail in a rape case while Khan is lodged in the Thane Jail after being held along with four others in January this year in an Arms Act case as well as a diesel theft case being probed by Dhaighar police.
Lambe was held in January last year after Khan's ex-wife accused him of rape, they said.
Speaking to PTI, Khan's ex-wife claimed that his (Khan's) conversation about having links with Dawood Ibrahim were just vain boasts, adding that he spoke this way after Lambe started dropping Underworld-related names.
Lambe was unavailable for comment despite repeated attempts.
Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Nawab Malik's daughter on Monday repudiated BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis's allegation that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government appointed people with links to fugitive underworld don and terrorist Dawood Ibrahim on the state's Waqf Board.
Sana Malik-Shaikh countered Fadnavis, saying it was the previous government in the state led by him (2014-19) that appointed Mudasir Lambe, whom the BJP leader accused of having links with Ibrahim, on the Board.
Sana Malik-Shaikh, also the Maharashtra unit vice-president of Rashtravadi Yuvati Congress, a wing of the NCP, shared Lambe's picture with Fadnavis on Twitter as she hit back at the former chief minister who made the claim related to the Waqf Board in the Assembly.
Maharashtra Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik, a senior NCP leader, is at present in judicial custody in connection with an alleged money-laundering probe linked to the activities of Ibrahim.
"Half Truth is Full Lie!! Dr. Lambe was appointed a Waqf Board member by Fadnavis/BJP govt on 13 Sept 2019. Maha Vikas Aghadi govt was established in November 2019. My father got Minority/Waqf Dept in the first week of Jan 2020. @Dev_Fadnavis with D-Gang Relative & a Rape Accused," Sana Malik-Shaikh tweeted.
The Wakf Board is a statutory body that looks after the maintenance and use of Islamic buildings, institutions and lands.
The NCP is a key constituent of the Shiv Sena-led MVA government.
Earlier in the day, Fadnavis accused the Maharashtra government of placing people with links to Ibrahim on the Board.
Speaking in the Assembly, the Leader of Opposition said a pen drive he had submitted contained a conversation between Waqf Board members Mohammad Arshad Khan and Mudasir Lambe.
During the conversation, Lambe claimed his father-in-law was an associate of Ibrahim, while Khan said his uncle was part of the underworld, Fadnavis told the House.
Khan is in jail, while Lambe is outside despite facing rape charges, the BJP leader alleged.