Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, February 25 Shiv Sena MP Sandipan Bhumre dismissed Ambadas Danve's allegations about a piece of land being "gifted" to his driver, and said he would file a defamation case against the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader.
Danve had on Tuesday sought an investigation into a 23-acre piece of land in the Jatwada area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, which he claimed had been "gifted" by its owner to Bhumre's driver long before the latter was even born.
The land is worth nearly Rs 1,150 crore, the former leader of the opposition in the state legislative council claimed.
"How could a 'hibanama' (gift deed) be made in the name of Javed Shaikh, my driver, who was born 14 years before, by the Hindu owner of the land?" the Sena (UBT) leader asked.
A 'hibanama' is a written document or gift deed in Muslim law that records the voluntary transfer of property from a donor to a donee without any exchange of money or consideration.
"The allegations made by Danve are based on incomplete information. My driver and I have no knowledge of the original owner of the land. My question is, how can such a hibanama be made between a Hindu and a Muslim?" Bhumre said at a press conference.
He said that if any misuse of government agencies has taken place in this case, action should be taken.
"The birth year of my driver is 1984-85, and the hibanama was made in 1971. If my driver was not born in 1971, how is this possible, and it should be checked," the Lok Sabha MP from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar said.
Bhumre also said that his driver told him that he had never been to the Jatwada village, and the "gut number" (land survey number) that Danve was claiming does not exist. There are only 171 gut numbers in that area; where did the gut number 174 come from? he asked.
"Who decided the rate (of the land) as Rs 1,150 crore? There is no such hibanama, and the gut number does not exist, then on what basis did Danve make these allegations? I am going to file a defamation suit against Danve, and I will consult with legal advisors on the matter," he said.
Bhumre also demanded a detailed probe into the matter.
"If my driver is at fault, action should be taken. But at the same time, action should also be taken against those who made false allegations," he added.
In June last year, police had questioned Bhumre's driver Shaikh over his claim that a descendant of Hyderabad's Salar Jung family had gifted him a three-acre plot of land located on Jalna Road in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, worth over Rs 150 crore.
