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The Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Maharashtra police on Tuesday conducted searches at various properties belonging to the nationalist Congress Party leader Chhagan Bhujbal and his family members in Nashik, Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai.
The former PWD minister reacted to the development saying that he was being targeted by the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena government in an unprecedented manner.
The properties searched included 'Bhujbal Farm', his farmhouse near Nashik, houses and offices in Nashik and offices at Manmad as well as at Yewla, which he represents in the state assembly.
In a statement, the ACB said there were seven properties in Mumbai, two in Thane, five in Nashik and two in Pune where searches were underway to ascertain the assets owned by hhagan Bhujbal, his son, Member of Legislative Assembly Pankaj Bhujbal and nephew Samir Bhujbal.
The searches began at 9.30 in the morning simultaneously at the properties belonging to Chhagan Bhujbal and his wife Meena Bhujbal, Pankaj Bhujbal and his wife Vishakha, Samir Bhujbal and his wife Shefali.
"We conducted this search operation to make a documentations that would be presented before the court in connection with Maharashtra Sadan scam," said Gyaneshwar Awari, investigation officer.
Earlier this month, the ACB had registered two first information reports against Chhagan Bhujbal. One of them is about corruption in the construction of Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi, while the second is related to allotment of a prime piece of land in Kalina in Mumbai.
Reacting to the development, Bhujbal said, "I don't remember any government in Maharashtra's history targeting anyone the way I have been targetted by the present government.
"Allegations are being levelled against us (family) for things done in a legal manner, (cleared) by committees chaired by the (then) chief minister," he told a news channel.
"The court asked you (the government) to probe (the allegations of corruption). It did not ask you to file FIRs," he added.