Mumbai:
The Bombay High Court has stayed the sale of 76 acres of land in Mahabaleshwar after it was allegedly sold to Maharashtra Revenue Minister Narayan Rane's wife Nilima. This after a petition was filed by the Shree Kshetra Mahabaleshwar Devasthan trust alleging that the property was sold to Rane's wife after changes were illegally made in the property records by a desk officer in the Revenue ministry - the ministry headed by Rane.
The Shree Kshetra Mahabaleshwar Devasthan Trust claims:
- The disputed property is more than 400 years old and was donated by erstwhile rulers like Chhatrapati Shivaji.
- Centuries later, the same property was also ratified during the British rule as 'temple land'.
- But in March 2008, P S Kamble, a desk officer in the Revenue Department changed the ownership of the records and transferred it to one Mahesh Panchal who later sold the property to Nilima Rane.
- A change that was made without informing the trust or the charity commissioner as is required by law.
Rane and Panchal have both denied the allegations.
"I bought only 18 gunthas from Sureshchandra Panchal and I also paid Rs 1.40 lakh by cheque. I have flouted no rules in buying the land as it was not temple land," said Narayan Rane, Revenue Minister, Maharashtra.
"From 1930 to 1984, the land was not in the Trust's name. Then it suddenly appeared in their name in1984. I never understood how?" said Mahesh Panchal, Land Seller.
Just like the Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who is surrounded by the Adarsh Housing Society scam, Rane hints the allegations are politically motivated.
"They have usurped tribal land, usurped land meant for martyrs and now it's emerging that they have usurped temple land too," said Uddhav Thackeray, Executive President, Shiv Sena.