Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, on April 28, addressed a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, alleging large-scale irregularities in the allocation of flats reserved for project-affected persons (PAP), reported the Hindustan Times. Raut claimed that a group operating under the banner of ‘Hindu Sakal Samaj’ had been fraudulently diverting these homes to people who were not eligible for them. He further alleged that the racket was being carried out by misusing the letterhead of Skill Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha. According to Raut, several deserving Marathi families displaced by redevelopment and infrastructure projects were denied their rightful homes due to the fraudulent activities carried out by the group.
In his letter, Raut stated that genuine beneficiaries were excluded from official PAP housing lists, while fake applicants were allegedly inserted through pressure on government agencies, the report added. He claimed that institutions such as the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) were influenced to approve these questionable names. Raut accused a man identified as Virendra Pratap, also known as Babloo Singh, of masterminding the operation. He alleged that Pratap used the name of Hindu Sakal Samaj and recommendations bearing Minister Lodha’s letterhead to intimidate officials and manipulate the housing allocation process.
Raut further referred to alleged irregularities linked to the Samarpan Society in Govandi East. He claimed that Virendra Pratap had fraudulently registered four to five flats under the name ‘Ajit Dhanaji Kadam’, a person he alleged does not exist, the report added. The letter also named Suresh Gupta, Anil Gupta, and Sheela Gupta as individuals who were allegedly ineligible for PAP housing but were still promised flats numbered 102, 103, and 104. According to Raut, each individual paid nearly Rs 15 lakh for the flats. He alleged that the entire operation was fraudulent and estimated the scam to be worth more than Rs 100 crore, urging the chief minister to conduct a serious investigation into the matter.
Skill Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha has not yet commented on this issue.