Former IPS officer and ex-DGP of Maharashtra, Sanjay Pandey, is making headlines again. Accused of conspiring to entangle Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in the Urban Land Ceiling (ULC) scam with false charges. These accusations stem from a special investigation report submitted to the Home Department by the outgoing DGP, Rashmi Shukla.
Graduating from IIT Kanpur, Sanjay Pandey held several key positions throughout his career. In April 2021, during the Mahavikas Aghadi government, he was appointed acting DGP of Maharashtra, although this appointment lacked UPSC approval. Consequently, he was removed in February 2022 and retired in June 2022. Following his retirement, Pandey joined the Congress party in 2024.
Entanglement in the Phone Tapping Case
Soon after his retirement, Sanjay Pandey faced rising turmoil. In 2022, the CBI accused him in the National Stock Exchange's phone-tapping case. Allegations involve the illegal wiretapping of NSE employees using his private company. Following this, the Enforcement Directorate arrested him on money laundering charges, resulting in his imprisonment for five months before securing bail.
What is the ULC Scam?
The ULC scam emerged in 2016, initially investigated by Thane Police. Reserved urban land meant for public use was deceitfully acquired by builders at minimal prices, causing a financial loss exceeding 160 crore rupees to the state government. Among those implicated were builder Shyamsunder Agarwal, various builders, government officials, and members of the Town Planning Department. A SIT was formed for further investigation after former Thane Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh faced corruption allegations.
As reported by Rashmi Shukla, Sanjay Pandey misused the reinvestigation by pressuring investigating officials and suspects to implicate Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde, despite their exclusion in the initial findings.
Who is Rashmi Shukla?
Rashmi Shukla is a distinguished 1988 IPS officer, known for being the first woman DGP of Maharashtra, serving from January 2024 to January 2026. Before her DGP role, she led the state intelligence department, served as the Pune Police Commissioner, and directed the Armed Border Force from March 2023 to January 2024. Shukla's report reignited political and legal controversies surrounding Sanjay Pandey.
