Ravindra Waikar, who recently shifted allegiance from Shiv Sena's Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) faction to Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, has been cleared of charges by the Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police. The EOW filed a C summary report in court concerning the Jogeshwari land scam, clarifying that the case against Waikar stemmed from a misunderstanding by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. It has been confirmed that all charges against him have been dropped following this development.
The case against Waikar stemmed from a misunderstanding and insufficient information. He faced trouble over the construction of a luxury hotel in Jogeshwari, as the complaint from the Mumbai Municipal Corporation was based on incomplete details. Criminal charges were filed against Waikar, his wife Manisha, and their partners Aasu Nehlani, Raj Lalchandani, Pritpal Bindra, and architect Arun Dubey.
During the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, Kirit Somaiya alleged that a ₹500 crore scam occurred by constructing a five-star hotel on a plot reserved for public use. A case was registered at Azad Maidan police station based on a complaint by municipal engineer Santosh Mandavkar, which claimed that the misappropriation led to revenue loss for the municipality.
In Mumbai's Jogeshwari Majaswadi area, a 13,674 square foot plot owned by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation was reserved for a ground and hospital. The plot, valued at around ₹500 crores, was allegedly used by Waikar to build a five-star hotel without the necessary permissions from the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. Waikar was summoned for questioning but did not appear, leading to an ED raid on his house. The Mumbai Police's C summary report now states that the complaint was filed due to a misunderstanding and incomplete information.