EOW questions Sena MP's driver over 'gift' of Rs 150 crore land by Salar Jung family

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jun 27 (PTI) Police in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar have questioned the driver of Shiv Sena MP Sandipan Bhumre over his claim that a descendant of Hyderabad's Salar Jung family gifted him a three-acre plot of land here worth over Rs 150 crore, officials said.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the city police has launched an investigation into the driver's claim based on a complaint lodged by Mujahid Iqbal Khan, a lawyer from Parbhani.

Salar Jung had served as the 'diwan' (prime minister) to the Nizams of Hyderabad for three decades from 1850s.

In the complaint, Mujahid said Mir Mehmood Ali Khan, a descendent of the Salar Jung family approached him in 2015, saying he wanted to get his family's nine acres of land located on Jalna Road in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar transferred in his name, and requested him to fight the case on his behalf saying he did not have enough money for it.

Mir Mehmood promised to give three acres of this land to him, Mujahid said, adding that an agreement was notarised for this three acres of land in January 2015 for Rs 5 lakh.

The complainant further said that he went to Hyderabad several times and also gave money to Mir Mehmood Ali whenever required. Mir Mehmood also made an irrevocable general power of attorney and got it notarised for Mujahid. The case concerning the nine acres of land was fought at different levels and was finally won by Mir Mehmood. After his name appeared on the property card, he told Mujahid to sell the land to whoever he wanted and give him Rs 50 lakh, it added.

Later, when the complainant once went to the site, a man named Javed Rasul Shaikh, who was present there, told him that he was the driver of Sandipan Bhumre, then a state minister. He also told Mujahid that the three acres of land had been given to him by the Salar Jung's descendent through 'hibanama' (gift deed) in February 2023.

"He threatened me and asked me not to mess with the Bhumres saying they can do anything. I was also told that the Bhumres have given a handsome amount of money to Mir Mehmood Khan in return for the land and that they have also assured to help Mehmood to sort out issues concerning other land parcels," Mujahid claimed in the complaint.

Mujahid said the current value of the land is more than Rs 150 crore.

While Sandipan Bhumre represents the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (erstwhile Aurangabad) Lok Sabha seat, his son Vilas is the legislator from the Paithan assembly segment.

When asked, Vilas Bhumre told reporters, "The person (Javed) currently serves as my driver...I am not aware of what he does in his personal life. I am in politics, so allegations are being made against us. I have nothing to do with what land he owns and what kind of hibanama he got." When contacted, a senior EOW official said, "We received a complaint in this regard three months back. We have sought documents from Bhumre's driver (Javed) and Mir Mehmood. The driver is yet to submit them and Mir Mehmood also could not come due to health reasons." "We have questioned Javed and our probe into his claim is on," he said. PTI AW NP