MP Bhumre says will sue UBT’s Danve for levelling ‘baseless’ allegations over Samruddhi land

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: MP Sandipan Bhumre of Shiv Sena on Wednesday said he would file a defamation case against Shiv Sena (UBT) member Ambadas Danve for accusing him of using his driver as an intermediary for 23 acres of land in the Harsul area for obtaining compensation of over Rs 1,150 crore for the said land parcel, which was eventually acquired for the Samruddhi Expressway project.On Tuesday, Danve had alleged that Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar MP Bhumre had received land compensation of over Rs 1,150 crore for 23 acres in the Harsul area acquired for the Samruddhi Expressway project. Danve had claimed that the land was transferred to the MP's driver, a Muslim man, through a ‘Hibanama' (deed of gift) just before the acquisition process began for the Samruddhi project. Danve had termed the transaction a new method of misusing govt funds with political backing, urging state govt to order a CID inquiry into the case.Responding, Bhumre said Danve's allegations were baseless and he would file a defamation case against the Sena (UBT) member. "The Hibanama concerned dates back to 1971 whereas my driver was born in 1985. The land record mentioned by Danve does not exist in the first place. Besides, the original owner of the land was a Hindu woman as told by Danve. Then how the owner being a Hindu can execute Hibanama, which is purely a contract only between two Muslim parties," the MP said.Bhumre said Danve was making such claims out of frustration, following the end of his tenure as Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra legislative council. Danve, in turn, maintained that Bhumre must explain the mismatch between the date of the Hibabnama and the driver's birth year, as well as the absence of the land's record number. "Also, there is inconsistency in the statement of Bhumre. On one hand he says that he cannot tell what the person "accompanying" him did outside, but on the other hand he guarantees the truthfulness of his driver. We demand a CID inquiry into the suspicious Hibanama," he said.