Mumbai, Aug. 19 -- Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar's grandnephew and party MLA Rohit R Pawar created a sensation in Maharashtra political circles on Monday, as he accused Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat (Shiv Sena) of plotting a land scam of around Rs 5,000 crore intended to benefit a clan that once supported the British against the Maratha Empire.

Talking to media persons here, Rohit Pawar said that the controversial Bivalkar family of Ratnagiri was originally gifted over 4000-acres land by the British rulers for helping them vis-a-vis the Maratha Empire.

"Over decades since, under various laws and land reforms, the property was taken over by the state government, but the present title holder, architect Yash...