Bhumare’s driver grilled for 9 hours in ₹150 crore land gift row

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Javed Shaikh, the driver of MP Sandipan Bhumare and MLA Vilas Bhumare, was questioned for nearly nine hours on Monday by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in connection with a controversial land gift allegedly involving the descendants of the Salar Jung family. Despite being summoned, Javed failed to produce any documents supporting his claim that the land valued at Rs 150 crore was gifted to him.

The questioning, led by PI Sambhaji Pawar, began at 11.30 am at the commissionerate. Though Javed arrived with a lawyer, police interrogated him alone. He was asked to provide legal proof of his claimed familial ties to Salar Jung descendants but could not present any such evidence. He was released at 8 pm with a notice to return for further inquiry on Tuesday.

Lawyer seeks 3-day extension for Salar Jung claimant

The controversy stems from a gift deed allegedly executed by Mir Mehmood Ali Khan, a man claiming descent from the Salar Jung family of Hyderabad. Advocate Mujahid Khan, who had earlier secured Khan’s name on the PR card for a three-acre plot at Kalda Corner, said the land was first part of a formal transaction involving a sale agreement and power of attorney worth Rs 90 lakh to Rs 1 crore. However, it's now alleged that Khan later created a fresh gift deed in the name of Bhumre’s driver raising suspicions of political collusion.

Khan, also summoned on Monday, failed to appear citing health issues. His lawyer filed an application seeking three more days to comply.

Public outcry over land gifted to political insider

The case has sparked political backlash across the state, with questions being raised over how a personal driver received land of such high market value as a “gift.” The EOW has said that more rounds of questioning and document verification are pending as the investigation deepens.