Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau raids 17 homes & offices of NCP's Chaggan Bhujbal

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau on Tuesday raided 17 residences and offices of senior Nationalist Congress Party leader and former PWD Minister Chaggan Bhujbal in connection with two FIRs filed against him by the agency looking into complaints of corruption against him.

The agency claims that the former deputy CM has amassed wealth which could run up to Rs 2,000 crore. The corruption wing mobilized all its officers as it raided Bhujbal’s 17 properties spread over Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nashik. As many as 10 teams comprising more than 70 officers took part in the operations. While Bhujbal claimed that the BJP-led government is carrying out an agenda of vendetta against him, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said, “We will never act against anyone just for the sake of revenge or vendetta. This is an independent investigation conducted by ACB that’s being overseen by the Bombay High Court.”

ACB officials were astonished at the kind of wealth accumulated by the Bhujbal family; for instance, the Bhujbal Palace in Nashik, which was raided on Tuesday, covers an area of 20,000 square feet, with a club house measuring another 15,000 square feet.