The Maharashtra government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate land grabs of religious sites following a series of complaints, authorities said. 

The state has also directed the SIT to file complaints against those who are accused of such wrongdoings. 

Nawab Malik, a member of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and a Maharashtra minister, highlighted a property scandal in Beed district, central Maharashtra, in which 300 acres of temple land was allegedly stolen with the help of local BJP leaders.

“This scan is happening from 2017, hence we have constituted an SIT to probe such matters,” Malik told Hindustan Times. “We have received complaints from across the state and an SIT will probe such cases to stop this land grab,” he added.

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In the case of Beed, he claimed that BJP leaders like Suresh Dhas and Bhimrao Dhonde, as well as deputy collectors, actively conspired to take 300 acres of land in seven temples. 

The swindle involved 513 acres of sacred land, of which 300 acres belonged to temples and the remaining 215 acres to Masjids, according to him.

“The BJP claims to uphold Hindu cause but here we are seeing their leaders grabbing land belonging to the temples of Lord Ram and Lord Vithal. This only exposes their hypocrisy.” “Both BJP leaders like Suresh Dhas and Bhimrao Dhonde are involved in this scam,” alleged Malik.

“We have also written to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as it is a classic case of money laundering,” he added.

Suresh Dhas denied the charge as baseless and threatened Malik with a defamation suit. “I have assets worth ₹4 crore only and am ready to give it entirely to Malik. It is unfortunate that a senior minister like Nawab Malik is indulging in such mudslinging. He has a history of levelling baseless allegations against people. I will answer these allegations by filing a defamation case against him,” said Dhas.