In a shocking revelation, Maharashtra Minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik has accused former Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis of protecting Riyaz Bhati. He claimed that the Prime Minister's security may have been breached as a history-sheeter with mafia links managed access to a VVIP event with the help of Fadnavis.
Malik said that a Mumbai builder from Versova, Riyaz Bhati, 57, considered a henchman of absconder mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, has always been seen in close proximity to Fadnavis, at BJP events, and even at his (Fadnavis') dinner table.
Bhati is a gangster having suspected links to gangster Dawood Ibrahim. He has been booked in multiple cases including land grabbing, extortion, cheating and forgery among others. He was nabbed on two occasions -- October 2015 and February 2020 -- in fake passport cases while he was attempting to flee the country violating court orders. His name also cropped in land-grab cases.
In September this year, his anticipatory bail application was rejected by the court, and he has been on the run since then. A Lookout Circular issued against him, and a search is on to nab him.
Besides, cases of extortion have been registered against him at the Juhu and Amboli police stations. In 2006, he was booked for a land grab case in Malad. It is alleged that he used his links with Dawood Ibrahim's gang to grab the prime plot.
On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has denied the allegations made by Nawab Malik that Fadnavis had mafia links.
Fadnavis took to microblogging website Twitter and quoting George Bernard Shaw, wrote, "I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides the pig likes it!"
Talking to media persons, BJP leader and former minister Ashish Shelar countered by displaying photos of the absconder goon Riyaz Bhatti with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, NCP President Sharad Pawar, Malik, Prithviraj Chavan, Aslam Shaikh and other top MVA leaders with a warning, "You show one, we will show you four pictures".
