Mumbai, July 10: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Friday levelled serious allegations of a multi-crore corruption scandal within the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).

In an official letter addressed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dated July 9, 2026, Raut demanded immediate action against a senior cabinet minister and municipal officials for allegedly bypassing mandatory e-tendering processes and violating Supreme Court guidelines.

According to the letter, several local corporators from Pimpri-Chinchwad met with Raut to flag blatant illegalities in the procurement of school uniforms, sweaters, socks, raincoats, and school bags for primary and secondary school students. State regulations mandate that any civic procurement exceeding Rs 3 lakh must strictly go through an “e-tender” system. However, a multi-crore contract was directly awarded to Solapur-based Jagdamba Readymade Dresses Sahakari Sanstha without any competitive bidding, alleged Raut.

Raut said that the matter had previously reached the Supreme Court, which had capped the procurement rate of the school kits at Rs 239 per unit. Instead, the PCMC administration allegedly awarded the contract at an inflated rate of Rs 814 per unit—resulting in a staggering overpayment of Rs 575 per kit funded by taxpayers. Raut estimated the total scale of the scam to be approximately Rs 400 crore.

He did not mince words, directly accusing a senior minister within the state cabinet of using political muscle to push the deal through. “A senior minister from your cabinet pressured the Municipal Commissioner to illegally award this contract to the firm without any tender process,” Raut wrote, invoking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s famous anti-corruption slogan, ‘Na khaunga, na khane dunga’ (“I will neither take bribes, nor allow anyone else to take them).

Raut further alleged that this pressure was driven by financial kickbacks rather than public interest, claiming that a massive cut of Rs 50 to Rs 55 crore allegedly reached the concerned ministers. He described corruption targeting school supplies for children as “deeply shameful.”

Concluding his letter, Raut urged CM Fadnavis to order an immediate inquiry and take strict action against the complicit minister and the PCMC administration. He confirmed that a complete set of documentary evidence detailing the alleged corrupt practices has been formally submitted to the Chief Minister’s Office for review.

Mumbai, July 10: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has launched a major statewide operation to investigate alleged contacts between individuals in the state and Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti, with the agency questioning 112 people identified so far in connection with the case.

According to an official statement by the Maharashtra ATS, teams from all 14 ATS units across the state began the action at around 7 a.m. on Friday. The teams have been visiting the locations of individuals who were allegedly in contact with Bhatti through social media platforms and are questioning them as part of the ongoing investigation.

The ATS said that several locations across Maharashtra are being searched as part of the operation. Searches and enquiries are underway in areas including Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Mira Road, Sangli, Satara and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, among other places.

The agency is examining possible links between the identified individuals and Shahzad Bhatti, who is suspected of allegedly using social media platforms to influence or encourage young people towards anti-national activities. Based on these inputs, the ATS initiated the statewide action to verify the nature of the alleged contacts and gather further information.

The agency is also collecting details related to their communication patterns, online interactions and any possible association with the Pakistan-based gangster.

The ATS has clarified that the investigation is currently underway and further action will be taken based on the findings of the enquiry.

Since the year 2025, the police have busted nine modules handled by Pakistani national Shahzad Bhatti.

This man, who was once a social media influencer has become the latest headache for the security agencies and would continue to remain for some more time as Bhatti is waiting for complacency to set in so that he can strike India.

Bhatti has emerged as the key figure in the modules that have been busted by the police.

While four separate modules relating to Bhatti have been busted by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), five were shut down by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that a clear pattern has been emerging and the Indian agencies are battling a new type of threat. Usually when nine modules are busted back-to-back by specialised agencies, the ones who are in charge tend to pull back.

Mumbai, July 10: Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) on Friday launched an attack on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, accusing his government of running a “mobocracy” and executing a “global-standard corruption scandal” in the Mumbai-Pune Expressway ‘Missing Link’ project.

A scathing editorial in the party’s mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ condemned the aggressive language used by CM Fadnavis against the opposition, questioning if the administration plans to physically silence those raising voices against corruption. The editorial alleged a massive Rs 2,500 crore inflation in the budget of the ‘Missing Link’ project, which was built to bypass the ghat sections on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.

According to the editorial, the original estimated cost of the 13-kilometre project — comprising two tunnels, an eight-lane road, and two bridges — was Rs 4,797.55 crore. “Even with standard escalations, it should not have crossed Rs 5,500 crore. However, the final expenditure skyrocketed to Rs 7,180 crore,” it said.

The editorial pointed out that the project cost an astonishing Rs 540 crore per kilometre, calling it a “world record in corruption”. The Thackeray camp mocked the quality of work, stating that the project started leaking profusely during the very first rains of the season. “If someone does research on the corruption of this Missing Link, they could easily earn a doctorate from Cambridge or Oxford University,” it remarked.

The editorial heavily criticised CM Fadnavis for allegedly warning the public and opposition by saying, “Questioning our corruption defames Maharashtra. I will deal with those who defame the state.” It slammed the CM for using words like “hired hands” and “dogs” in the Legislative Assembly to describe citizens and opposition leaders who questioned the state’s spending.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena argued that the language of “dealing with” or “seeing to” opponents is the dialect of gangsters, not statesmen. It questioned what exactly CM Fadnavis intends to do to his critics: “Are you going to cut the tongues of those speaking against corruption, or are you going to shoot them down like Karsevaks?”

The editorial alleged that money minted from such corruption is being funnelled into poaching MLAs and MPs. It claimed CM Fadnavis holds no emotional bond with the state, acting instead like “Mughals and the British” whose only policy was to “loot and leave”.

Drawing a sharp contrast between current rulers and past leaders, the editorial noted that Maharashtra has a rich legacy of cultured Chief Ministers. It invoked the memory of the state’s first Chief Minister, Yashwantrao Chavan, praising his wisdom, intellect, restraint, tolerance, and statesmanship.

The editorial highlighted that former Chief Ministers from various parties, including Vasantrao Naik, Vasantdada Patil, Sharad Pawar, Vilasrao Deshmukh, Manohar Joshi, and Uddhav Thackeray, understood the weight of their words and never used the Assembly floor to shield the corrupt or threaten the opposition.

“Today, the state is not being governed; a ‘Champat Rai’ style cabinet is plundering Maharashtra. If CM Fadnavis and his associates think they are flawless, they are mistaken. Their only major achievement has been running a government by purchasing MLAs and MPs for Rs 50 crore each. This is a mockery of democracy,” the editorial concluded.