Plea in Bombay HC seeks probe into ‘disproportionate assets’ of Uddhav Thackeray, family

The petitioner, Gouri Abhay Bhide, 38, who along with her 78-year-old father filed the PIL, said she was inspired by the motto “na khaunga na khaane dunga” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They claimed the Thackeray family, including Uddhav, his wife Rashmi and son and former state minister Aaditya and their other son Tejas, have never disclosed any service, profession, or business as their particular source of income and have amassed disproportionate assets.

Bhide said her family was in the printing business like Thackerays and briefly printed supplements of late Bal Thackeray’s weekly during the Emergency period. They said the Saamana mouthpiece and Marmik magazine were never subject to audit by the audit bureau of circulation and no one knows their print order. She added during the coronavirus pandemic entire print media was facing losses, but Thackeray’s publication showed a recorded turnover of Rs. 42 crore and a recorded profit of Rs 11.5 crore and it is a case of “turning black money into white money.”

In the PIL, they also raised a grievance that the Uddhav Thackeray family members have accumulated ‘Benami property’ and violated provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Representation of Peoples Act and have committed serious economic offences and offences of corruption, yet the police have avoided taking legal action against them, on account of heavy political pressure.

It claimed “corruption has taken place and huge properties and assets have been accumulated illegally by the family in Mumbai and Raigad district, which may run into crores of rupees and they were created to absorb into other sources”. It added, “Holding an official post in any political party by itself, cannot be a legal source of income. Similarly, holding the constitutional posts of the Chief Minister and Cabinet Minister in any state also is not a source of income, as the remuneration is limited. ”

The petitioner, Bhide, also said recent raids conducted by the CBI, ED, and Income Tax Department in Maharashtra revealed that some people close to the Thackeray family were interrogated and are still under the radar of the central agencies, therefore, it is “crystal clear” that huge undisclosed properties, cash and other wealth found on them have “close nexus” to Thackeray family members. She said she had submitted a complaint and a reminder on July 11 and July 26 relating to the above facts to the Mumbai police, but no action was taken and it was only forwarded by the Police Commissioner to its Economic Offences Wing (EOW).

The PIL further said as per information she received about Prabodhan Prakashan, a Public Trust, and Prabodhan Prakashan Pvt Ltd, the company is owned by the Thackeray family as a “sole operating agency,” and the family’s trusted men are the Trustees and same is not in the public domain. “However, the operating growth of the company is astonishing,” it said.

It added that the changes in the shareholding pattern of the company also ensured that Tejas Thackeray, a new shareholder, would benefit from 2020. Therefore, invoking anti-corruption practices in the present case is necessary as Uddhav and Aaditya were public servants during the said period, it said. Besides Prabodhan Prakashan, Uddhav, Rashmi, and Tejas have shown various investments and holdings in various other companies and the same should be looked into, the PIL urged.

The PIL sought direction to the central agencies to take cognisance of the complaint filed with the Mumbai police and investigate it. It also said the status of the probe should be submitted to the court every month.