• Source:JND
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Mumbai: Maharashtra minister Sanjay Shirsat has spoken out after a purported video surfaced online showing him smoking in a hotel room, with what appears to be a bag filled with cash nearby. He has dismissed the video as a "well-planned conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing his image.

"This is a well-thought-out conspiracy. I am sitting comfortably in my house, and my dog is sitting as well. Someone has recorded a video of this, which suggests they were spying on us. We are such people that anyone who visits our home eats food and drinks tea. It is our responsibility to supervise the workers. There might be an agent among them, but we do not worry about it, nor have we ever seen anything suspicious. Have you seen someone living in the house openly sitting beside money? This is unusual. But we will definitely respond to this conspiracy," he said. 

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Sanjay Shirsat Viral Video

The viral video of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat surfaced just a day after he received an income tax notice over a sharp rise in his declared assets, from Rs 3.3 crore in 2019 to Rs 35 crore in 2024, prompting scrutiny from the Income Tax Department, which has sought an explanation for the sudden financial surge between the two assembly elections.

मला संजय शिरसाटांची कमाल वाटते.
बॅग मधे चक्क पैसे दिसत असतांना, ते पैसे नाही, कपडे असतील असे शिरसाट म्हणूच कसे शकतात ? मी त्या विडिओला झूम करून फोटो काढला आहे.

“हा माझ्या घरच्या वीडियो आहे “ असे ते म्हणत आहेत… त्यांच्यात हिम्मत असेल आणि ते खरं बोलत असतील तर आजच्या आज त्यांनी… pic.twitter.com/ZluMlMLf2A

— Mrs Anjali Damania (@anjali_damania) July 11, 2025

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut was the first to circulate the clip on social media, using it to launch a strong attack on Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Speaking to the media on Thursday, Shirsat said he has requested more time to respond to the notice.

“I feel pity for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis! How many more times will he just sit and watch his reputation being torn to shreds? Helplessness has another name: Fadnavis!” Raut posted on X.

Sanjay Shirsat Received Notice 

Maharashtra’s Minister for Social Justice, Sanjay Shirsat, revealed on Thursday that he has received an income tax notice seeking an explanation for the significant increase in his assets between the 2019 and 2024 Assembly elections.

#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: On a purported viral video showing him sitting beside a bag filled with cash, Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat says, "This is a well-thought-out conspiracy. I am sitting comfortably in my house, and my dog is sitting as well. Someone has recorded… pic.twitter.com/SwPiZVmnWe

— ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2025

According to sources quoted by PTI, the notice was issued as part of the Income Tax Department’s automated Computer-Assisted Scrutiny Selection (CASS) process for the assessment year 2024–25.

CASS, which functions without human intervention, flags cases based on predefined risk parameters for further scrutiny.

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Sources indicated that the notice may pertain to questions around tax exemptions, and the matter will be resolved under the department’s faceless assessment system once Shirsat submits his response.