'Nirav Modi' Buying Farmers' Land In Maharashtra? What Minister Said

Maharashtra BJP MLC Ram Shinde on Thursday claimed that investors were buying land at throwaway prices from farmers in Karjat taluka of Ahmednagar district, where an MIDC is proposed to be set up, and named one "Nirav Deepak Modi" as one of the buyers.

Raising the issue in the state legislative council during the ongoing Monsoon session, Shinde said that despite the demand no MIDC has come up in Karjat so far.

Nirav Modi, a key accused in the Rs 13,000-crore scam at state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB), was declared a fugitive economic offender in December 2019.

MIDCs are industrial hubs under the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation.

Replying to the matter, state Industries Minister Uday Samant said it will be probed whether the "Karjat taluka has poor farmers and investors have bought land at a throwaway price".

"Industrial area Khandala and Pategoan, where the proposed MIDC is to come up...Nirav Deepak Modi batch no 35...Nirav Modi batch nos 39A-1 39-2, 58 and 59....investors are taking land at a throwaway price from farmers," Shinde alleged.

Is this going to be an MIDC for investors, farmers or unemployed? he asked.

Earlier this week, local MLA Rohit Pawar staged a protest to demand an MIDC in Karjat.

In his response, Minister Samant said it has to be determined whether the person Nirav Modi as mentioned by Shinde is the same economic fugitive or a local resident.

"Today a new point has come to light before the government and the MIDC that Nirav Modi, too, has taken land there. Who is this Nirav Modi? The one who has gone to London or he is a local has to be ascertained.

If Nirav Modi has taken land here and if the government has to acquire the land, then it has to be looked into how right it is to do so, Samant said.

"If this is the same person who has committed the crime, then we have to take a policy decision as MIDC. The names will be probed," he added.

He stressed that the government was committed to establishing an MIDC in Karjat. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)