Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut might have added on to the worries of his chief Uddhav Thackeray. In haste to attack BJP leader Kirit Somaniya for directing a few uncomfortable questions towards the Thackreys, Sanjay Raut inadvertently has let the cat out of the bag. Speaking to reporters here on Friday, Raut hit out at the BJP leader and said: “All these allegations are made to protect an accused. They are calling the land deal illegal but that deal is completely legal, nothing will be proved.”
Stating this, Raut claimed that hw will make the BJP ‘is at home’ for 25 years.
Raut’s statement came as a reply to BJP leader Kirit Somaniya who has been, for the past two days, seeking Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s explanation on alleged financial deals between the Thackerays and the family of deceased interior designer Anvay Naik. The Maharashtra Government had tried to implicate Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami recently for being involved in an alleged non-payment of dues to Naik, which allegedly led to his suicide in 2018.
Sanjay Raut confirms there was indeed a land deal between Uddhav Thackeray’s wife and Anvay Naik’s family
It is pertinent to note here that at no point of time did Kirit Somaniya question Uddhav Thackeray about the legalities of the land deal. Regardless of the legality of the illegality of it, questions are being raised if the hounding of Arnab Goswami is connected to the financial and personal relationship between Thackerays and Naiks. However, it has been confirmed now after Raut’s statement that the Thackerays did have financial dealings with the Naik family, especially Akshita Naik, in the past. Akshita Naik has been holding pressers recently, accusing Arnab of abetting her husband’s suicide.
BJP leader claims Arnab Goswami’s targeting was linked to the Thackerays’ dealings with Naik’s wife
For the second consecutive day today, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya addressed media persons at the BJP headquarters in Mumbai and alleged that Uddhav’s wife Rashmi Thackeray and Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Vaykar’s wife Manisha Vaykar had bought land from the deceased interior designer Anvay Naik.
“In the backdrop of the arrest of Republican TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami (in Anvay Naik and his mother’s abetment to suicide case) and suicide of Anvay Naik, who apparently was reeling under financial problems, it has become all the more significant to let the people of Maharashtra know what are the equations and financial issues between the Naik and Thackeray families,” Somaiya said.
Yesterday, the BJP leader had Tweeted saying that there are at least nine 7/12 extracts of such deals and claimed that the evidence of these land deals had been released on the public forum. He asked Uddhav Thackeray as to what exactly is the relationship between him and Anvay Naik’s family. He alleged that Rashmi Thackeray and Manisha Vaykar are in partnership with Naik.
उद्धव ठाकरे परिवार आणि अन्वय नाईक परिवारचे एकवीस 7/12, जमीन व्यवहाराचे पुरावे आज प्रसिध्द केले उद्धवजी ठाकरे आपले आणि अन्वय नाईक परिवाराचे संबंध काय?
— Kirit Somaiya (@KiritSomaiya) November 12, 2020
सौ रश्मी ठाकरे आणि सौ मनिषा वायकर या दोघांनी पार्टनरशिप मध्ये या जागा घेतल्या आहेत, वायकर आणि ठाकरे यांची बिझनेस पार्टनरशिप आहे का pic.twitter.com/50AybQef7p
He questioned as to why Uddhav Thackeray does not break his silence about the alleged deals between his family and the Naiks despite the case gaining so much prominence. He insinuated that the state government’s “targeting” of Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami was linked to the spouses of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Vaykar buying property from late Anvay Naik’s wife.
On November 11 also Kirit Somaiya shared the details of the several pieces of land jointly purchased by Uddhav Thackeray’s wife Rashmi Thackeray and one Manisha Ravindra Vaykar from Akshita Naik in March 2014 at about Rs 2.20 crore. Akshita Naik is the late Anvay Naik’s wife.
With so much information out in the open, it becomes imperative to revisit the situation under which Maharashtra police, at the behest of Uddhav Thackeray government had detained Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami for 8 straight days.
Arnab Goswami implicated by Shiv Sena in the closed Anvay Naik suicide case
Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami was arrested by Mumbai Police early morning on last Wednesday. A few Mumbai Police officers barged into Goswami’s residence, physically manhandling him and his family members before arresting him. He was arrested in connection with a 2018 abetment to suicide case that was already closed.
The case pertains to the death of an interior designer Anvay Naik, who, along with his mother was found dead in May 2018 and had left behind a note alleging that Arnab Goswami had not cleared his dues to the tune of ₹83 lacs. Anvay Naik and his mother Kumud were found dead in their Alibaug farmhouse. The suicide note had also two named two other people, namely Feroz Shaikh and Nitesh Sarda for non-clearance of dues of ₹4 crores and 55 lacs respectively. It is pertinent to note that the case was closed in April 2019 and has now been unilaterally opened by the police seemingly, to hound Arnab Goswami.
As per an exclusive report by The Indian Express, the officers investigating the Anvay Naik suicide case had found no links between Republic TV Editor Arnab Goswami, Nitesh Sarda and Feroz Shaikh. They found no evidence that could establish that the trio made life ‘unbearable’ for Naik or led to the abetment of suicide.
In their statement, Republic TV had declared that Anvay Naik’s firm had been paid most of the dues and the remaining amount was to be paid after the completion of the work which was never done. Arnab’s family had also stated that he had never had any direct dealings with Naik or his firm.