Govt lost Rs 6 cr in stamp duty over land 'gifted' to Sena MP's driver, probe needed: AIMIM leader

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jul 17 (PTI) Former AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel on Thursday claimed the Maharashtra government lost Rs 6.18 crore in stamp duty for a property "gifted" to Shiv Sena MP Sandipan Bhumre's driver by a descendant of Hyderabad's Salar Jung family.

A minister also pressured authorities for changing the name on the land ownership document, Jaleel alleged without taking any name.

Talking to reporters here, the former All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar demanded an investigation by a high-level committee into the matter.

Bhumre represents the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (erstwhile Aurangabad) Lok Sabha seat.

His family's driver Javed Shaikh has claimed that a descendant of Hyderabad’s Salar Jung family gave him a three-acre plot of land valued at more than Rs 150 crore in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district through ‘hibanama’ (gift deed) in February 2023.

The police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) is conducting a probe into the driver's claim.

Marathwada, where Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is located, was part of the erstwhile Hyderabad state.

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

Jaleel said the ready reckoner rate of the land that Bhumre's driver got is Rs 36,190 per square metre. The cost of this land, which is around 8.5 acres, is nearly Rs 120 crore as per government rate, he claimed.

He alleged that two bond papers of Rs 500 each for the transfer of land (in two installments) through 'hibanama' were purchased by close allies of Bhumre who are not Muslims.

"They did not register the documents and got them notarised instead. The government lost a revenue of Rs 6.18 crore which was supposed to be paid in the form of stamp duty," he claimed.

The land was transferred to Bhumre's driver Javed Shaikh in two installments. In both the processes, a public notice (to raise objections) on land transfer was uploaded and the driver downloaded it within a few seconds, he claimed, adding this also needed to be inquired.

Jaleel also alleged that a minister pressured the land transfer authorities for changing the name on the ownership document.

"The minister was also supposed to get one acre of land out of this deal and another half acre was supposed to be given to those who helped in taking possession of the land," the former MP claimed without taking name.

For the 'hibanama', the persons executing it should be blood relatives, which is not the fact in this case, he said.

The registered document for this land should be cancelled, the AIMIM leader demanded.

He claimed the police investigation in the case was a "drama".

"A high-level committee should be formed to investigate this case," Jaleel said.

He demanded that Bhumre's driver come forward and explain things, and a case be registered against those involved in the alleged irregularities in the matter.

Bhumre could not be contacted for a response. PTI AW GK