Raut alleges attempt to bribe Maharashtra legislature panel, CM orders SIT probe

Mumbai, May 22 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has alleged that his party’s workers foiled an attempt to ‘bribe’ the state legislature's Estimates Committee during their visit to Dhule district, prompting Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to order probe by a special team.

Committee chairman Arjun Khotkar rubbished allegations linking the episode to his personal assistant (PA). Khotkar is an MLA of the Shiv Sena led by deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

In a post on X on Wednesday night, Raut alleged that more than Rs 5 crore in cash was found in a room at the government rest house in Dhule city.

“When the legislature estimates committee visited Dhule district today (Wednesday), about five and a half crore rupees were kept in room number 102 at the Dhule government rest house Gulmohar for giving bribe to the committee,” the Rajya Sabha member claimed.

Former Shiv Sena MLA Anil Anna Gote and local Sena (UBT) leaders locked the room and stood guard outside, Raut said.

“Despite informing the district collector, superintendent of police and Anti-Corruption Bureau, no one has come even after four to five hours....There is no cooperation from the administration. The bribe was meant to suppress corruption in development works and officials’ involvement in it,” he alleged.

The estimates committee is empowered to scrutinise the utilisation of funds allocated to a particular area in the state budget.

Dhule superintendent of police Shrikant Dhivare told reporters that the matter was being probed.

Talking to reporters, Anil Gote claimed that Room 102 was booked in the name of Khotkar’s PA Kishore Patil.

Khotkar, however, denied this, and said the money found in the rest house had nothing to do with the committee. “I spoke to my PA. He said he hadn’t booked that room. He had booked the one next to it,” he said.

Raut subsequently told reporters that the person in whose name room 102 was booked should be probed.

Talking to reporters in Mumbai, chief minister Fadnavis said it was a serious incident. "The whole truth is not known. But the truth must come out. A question mark on a legislature committee cannot be tolerated . The respect and dignity of the legislature has to be upheld. An SIT (special investigation team) will be formed to ascertain the truth. Probe will be conducted into the money trail and whether anyone had asked for it," he said.

Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio, also said he will request the assembly speaker and council chairperson to set up a separate ethics committees to ascertain the truth.

"Under no circumstances functioning of a legislature committee should come under a cloud," he said. PTI MR NR KK KRK