If it was Hassan Ali Khan, the racehorse owner with a penchant for high living, who was thought to be the king of good times, now it’s the turn of mega contractor-cum-builder Avinash Bhosale to don that mantle, more on account of his 56-bedroom, 30,000 sq ft mansion styled along the lines of Capitol Hill. Bhosale’s arrest has put in focus the close links the affluent builder forged with state politicians, cutting across party lines.

Allegations have surfaced that following Bhosale’s arrest by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji international airport on Sunday, two influential state politicians were quick to intervene to engineer his handover to the Mumbai Police so that he could get immediate bail.

Bhosale is one of the main government contractors when it comes to constructing dams, reservoirs and other irrigation projects. His name has been linked with many politicians including Ajit Pawar, Gopinath Munde and Uddhav Thackeray. Though Bhosale bagged a number of Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation contracts during the BJP-Shiv Sena regime, he is now said to be close to Ajit Pawar.

Irrigation and Guardian Minister Pawar admits he knows Bhosale. “I don’t deny knowing him. But as a politician we know thousands of people. Bhosale has never funded the Nationalist Congress Party. Neither have I as a minister favoured him in any way,” said Pawar.

He denied showing any favour to Bhosale while allotting irrigation department contracts. “Hundreds of people bid for contracts and the lowest bidder gets it. There is no truth in the allegations that the Pawars favoured Bhosale. Those who are hurling allegations should substantiate it with proof,” Pawar said.

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