MUMBAI: In a big blow to Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday ordered a high-level inquiry against Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s minister Sanjay Shirsat and his son for buying a Rs 110-crore luxury hotel for just Rs 67 crore in Sambhaji Nagar.It was alleged that Shirsat and his son, Siddhant Shirsat, undervalued the VITS Hotel and bought it by rigging the tender process. The Opposition had raised the issue and demanded a probe.Fadnavis said that Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule had already announced the cancellation of the tender process.The CM said, “We will ensure that a new bid for this VITS Hotel auction is opened. However, to investigate any potential violations and irregularities in the tender process, we have decided to conduct a high-level probe to uncover the truth. Transparency has to be maintained in such a process.”Shiv Sena MLC and Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danave raised the matter in the Legislative Council. Danave alleged that the firm of the Sena minister’s son, which bought the VITS Hotel, was not even registered and was therefore ineligible to participate in the bidding process. Still, it participated and won the bid, and illegally, he claimedDanave said it was revealed that the Sena minister’s son used fraudulent documents to show his firm was eligible to enter the tender process. “The government officials who are involved in this illegal deal have to be punished, and action should be taken against them. We want justice, and we expect CM Fadnavis to do justice,” he said.Sanjay Shirsat tried to defend himself and his son on the floor of the House, claiming that the allegations against both of them are baseless. He said that they had already announced their withdrawal from the deal.
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