Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis’s “Underworld Links Proof” Against Maharashtra Minister

Mumbai: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who had teased a post-Diwali “expose” on state Minister Nawab Malik and his underworld connection, delivered on his promise today. In a tit-for-tat move, Nawab Malik promised to drop a truth bomb of his own and expose Devendra Fadnavis’s alleged links with the underworld.

Reiterating his earlier charge that Mr Malik has underworld links, the BJP leader, addressing a press conference, presented what he calls “proof” of the connection.

“I had said I will expose somethings after Diwali. It took some time to get papers. I am not narrating a Salim Javed script… And this is not a picture of the interval,” the BJP leader began.

Mr Fadnavis’s charge is that Nawab Malik had struck a property deal with an underworld person who was convicted in the 1993 Mumbai blasts.

“In Kurla a 2.80 acre plot is called Goawala compound on LBS Road.This plot has registry with Solidus Investments Private Limited. This company is related to Nawab Malik’s family. He was also in the company but he resigned after he became a minister. This plot was bought from underworld people for ₹ 30 lakh. Only ₹ 20 lakh were paid,” Mr Fadnavis alleged.

“My question is when this deal happened you were a minister. Did you not know who Salim Patel is? Why did you buy land from convicts? And why did they sell a three-acre plot on LBS road for ₹ 30 lakh,” he asked.

Salim Patel is gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s aide and was the driver of Haseena Parkar (Dawood’s sister). After Dawood escaped, the properties were acquired by Haseena Parkar through Salim Patel. Dawood Ibrahim is the mastermind behind the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts.

“This is a direct link to the underworld. Those who brought RDX, those who conspired to carry out the blasts, you are doing business with them? I will send all this to competent authorities and also send it to Sharad Pawar so that he knows what his Minister has done,” said Mr Fadnavis.

The state Minister hit back strongly.

“I will drop a hydrogen bomb tomorrow in connection with Devendra Fadnavis. I will expose Devendra Fadnavis’s underworld links,” Mr Malik said at his press conference.

Nawab Malik had earlier alleged that Devendra Fadnavis had appeared in a music video financed by a drug peddler who is currently in jail. It is “laughable”, was Mr Fadnavis’s response at the time.

The BJP leader had alleged that Mr Malik was just trying to put pressure on the Narcotics Control Bureau or the NCB to get the anti-drugs agency to weaken the charge sheet against his son-in-law.

The Maharashtra cabinet minister’s son-in-law Sameer Khan was arrested by the NCB earlier this year in a drugs case and was later granted bail by a court.