EOW begins probe in Shinde faction’s allegations against UBT over I-T login

MUMBAI: In a fresh row in the Sena vs Sena episode, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police on Monday registered a preliminary enquiry (PE) and began a probe against Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Uddhav Thackeray, after Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena filed a complaint for not only refusing to hand over the user ID and password to allow it to file TDS and I-T return but also filing the previous quarter’s I-T return on its behalf.

The complaint also alleged that the UBT leaders impersonated Shiv Sena leaders and deliberately misused the login credentials.

In January 2024, a delegation led by deputy leader Kiran Pawaskar, officer on special duty to chief minister Ashish Kulkarni, Sanjay More, Shiv Sena secretary and Balaji Kinikar, treasurer met police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar to formally lodge the complaint.

“We represent the official party and also own the symbol. But for income tax returns, we can’t use the login ID and password as someone is misusing it. We did not want money, so we gave the party funds to the UBT group. We wish to know why they are using our login ID and password. This amounts to cheating,” said their police complaint.

“The complaint was recently entrusted by the Mumbai police commissioner to the EOW after which a preliminary enquiry has been registered and we have started a probe into the matter,” said an EOW officer.

In the complaint submitted to the police, the Shinde-led Sena alleged that Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) faction leaders and officer-bearers “personified themselves to be the party leader of Shiv Sena political party (i.e., the Shinde-led Shiv Sena) and thereby filed TDS returns for the preceding quarter (July to September 2023).”

They further alleged that leaders from the Uddhav Thackeray faction as well as their chartered accountants knew that he was not the leader of the political party, yet they misused the party’s login ID and password “intentionally and deliberately.”

The complaint stated that the Shinde-led Shiv Sena had applied to authorities for the issuance of a duplicate PAN Number and subsequently, after its issuance, updated the address and the signing authorities of the Shiv Sena political party.

The complaint also mentioned that letters were sent to the joint commissioner of income tax and the additional commissioner of income tax (TDS-2 Mumbai) on December 15, 2023, and December 27, 2023, intimating to them that the Uddhav Thackeray faction and their chartered accountants had not provided them financial documents and login IDs and passwords for filing TDS and ITR.

Their complaint further stated that the Speaker of Maharashtra, Vidhan Bhavan by its order dated 10th of January 10, 2024, has also held that Shiv Sena Political Party headed by Eknath Sambhaji Shinde is the real Shiv Sena Political Party and further has also held that Eknath Shinde was validly appointed as a leader by the Shiv Sena Political Party.

“They have demanded a case should be registered against erstwhile/former party leaders or office bearers of the Shiv Sena party for offence punishable under sections 379 (theft), 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), 472 (makes or counterfeits any seal, plate, etc.) of the Indian Penal Code and under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000,” said the police officer.