MBMC Commissioner Dilip Dhole Summoned By ED In Land Scam Case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned the municipal commissioner of Thane’s Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC), Dilip Dhole, in connection with a money laundering probe launched by the agency in the Urban Land Ceiling (ULC) scam of Mira Bhayandar. The scam took place between 2014 and 2016. 

By joining hands with some MBMC officials, several builders operating in MBMC jurisdiction allegedly avoided returning excess land to the government, as required by the Urban Land Ceiling Regulation Act.

Builders who refused to give up the extra land allegedly bribed MBMC authorities and misrepresented many of their residential plots as agricultural land.

When the case came to light in 2016, a probe was ordered and the case was handed over to Thane police, headed by the then Thane police commissioner Parambir Singh.

Builder Raju Shah had accused Singh of favouring several builders. Shah had also written to the former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and the then Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil over the same. A special investigation team (SIT) was formed by the state government in 2021 to look into the matter. 

Following this, the ED had taken charge of the money laundering investigation in the ULC case and has been questioning several builders, authorities and associated parties. MBMC Commissioner Dhole has been summoned in connection with the same investigation.

"We have taken over the case and have summoned Dhole with regard to the case. We will summon more people related to the case as the investigation proceeds,” confirmed an ED official.