In a significant development, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police has filed a closure report in a case against Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Waikar regarding the redevelopment of a prime property in Mumbai’s western suburbs. The case, which has been ongoing for some time, saw a turnaround when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) informed the Supreme Court of its intention to reconsider revoking the redevelopment permission. This move came after Waikar appealed to the Supreme Court following the rejection of his plea by the Bombay High Court challenging the BMC’s decision to cancel the hotel construction permission. The High Court had found that Mr. Waikar had suppressed facts in his application. The EOW revealed that the case has been closed based on the BMC’s letter, which indicated no findings of wrongdoing or land misuse, leading to the police closing the case. The case also attracted the attention of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is investigating alleged irregularities in obtaining permission for the construction of a luxury hotel in Jogeshwari on a plot, potentially violating an agreement with the BMC. The controversy surrounds a land parcel originally allocated for sporting and entertainment facilities, with later permission obtained for a hotel construction, in violation of the initial agreement with the civic body. The case’s closure is a significant milestone in this complex affair involving real estate, politics, and municipal governance in India’s financial capital.
