Members of Wadhawan family visit Mahabaleshwar during lockdown, placed under institutional quarantine

Members of Wadhawan Family of DHFL Group have been placed under institutional quarantine by the local police in Mahabaleshwar after they visited the town when the entire country is under lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The process to file a complaint has been initiated at the local police station for the "violation" of lockdown norms.

Maharashtra Home Minister l Deshmukh said that it will be inquired how 23 people of the Wadhawan family got permission to travel from Khandala to Mahabaleshwar.

However, the issue generated political heat with BJP leader Kirit Somaiya writing to Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, seeking a probe into their getting "special permission" and "VIP treatment" from the Maharashtra government.

"Request to order an inquiry on how and why the Maharashtra Government issued special passes/permission and gave VIP treatment to Wadhwan brothers to travel from Mumbai to Mahabaleshwar in a convoy. It may be noted that they are on bail in DHFL/Yes Bank Fraud case," reads Somaiya's letter.

Sources said the permission letter was issued by Principal Secretary, Special, in Home Department. It mentions the number of five cars and also lists the names of persons, who will be in each car.

The letter says that they were known to the signatory and were his family friends and were travelling from Khandala to Mahableshwar for "family emergency." It seeks cooperation to allow them to reach the destination.

DHFL promoters Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan had not appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last month in connection with the probe against Yes Bank promoter Rana Kapoor and others for money laundering. Kapil Wadhawan had apparently cited coronavirus pandemic as the reason for his inability to join the investigation.

( With inputs from ANI )