MUMBAI: Allegations of misuse of rooms meant for sportspersons at the Shahaji Raje Sports Complex in Andheri West have resurfaced, with BJP leaders demanding a detailed probe into the allotment of the facility during the tenure of former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar.Fresh row erupts over alleged misuse of athletes’ rooms at Andheri sports complex; BMC inquiry orderedThe controversy centres on 56 rooms at the sports complex, which were allegedly leased in March 2022 when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) allotted the facility to an organisation that subsequently sub-leased it to Turtle Hotel. The rooms were originally intended to accommodate athletes.On Sunday, BJP Mumbai president and Andheri West MLA Ameet Satam visited the sports complex along with Mayor Ritu Tawde and deputy municipal commissioner Bhagyashree Kapse, and directed civic authorities to conduct an inquiry into the alleged misuse of the rooms. The visit came amid renewed allegations by senior BJP leader Kirit Somaiya regarding the allotment made during Pednekar’s mayoral tenure.“Sena (UBT) leader and then-Mayor Kishori Pednekar was involved in the ‘Turtle Hotel’ scam at the Andheri Sports Complex. In the first week of March 2022, just as her mayoral term was coming to an end, Pednekar allotted 54 rooms, originally intended for sportspersons, to Hotel Turtle for a period of five years,” Somaiya alleged while inspecting the site.Pednekar, however, strongly refuted the allegations and maintained that the decision was taken collectively by a trust operating under the BMC.“Originally, the property was leased to an institution under the Municipal Corporation. The Mayor was the chairperson, former municipal commissioner IS Chahal was vice-chairperson, and Additional Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide was also among the trustees, along with elected representatives and senior civic officials,” she said.“The minutes were approved with everyone’s consent. We had only granted permission from July 2021 until February 2022. What happened thereafter in 2023, when Turtle Hotel took over, occurred during the administrator’s regime. Go ahead and conduct an inquiry,” Pednekar added.She further alleged that several key decisions concerning the property were taken during the administrator’s tenure and said she too was seeking a white paper on the issue.Amid the escalating political row, Satam, accompanied by Tawde, deputy mayor Sanjay Ghadi and Somaiya, carried out an inspection of the sports complex, which is managed by Lalit Kala Pratishthan. Following the visit, he directed the BMC to undertake a comprehensive inquiry into the utilisation of the 56 rooms and submit a detailed report.“There were complaints from residents that higher-than-prescribed fees were being charged and that the rooms were being used for unauthorised activities,” Satam said.He added that civic officials had also been instructed to investigate complaints related to charges levied for various facilities at the complex, including the swimming pool, gymnasium, table tennis court, gymnastics hall and open ground.Satam said officials had been asked to place a status report before the trustees and reiterated that the sports complex should be operated strictly in the public interest. “The complex should be utilised for the benefit of Mumbaikars and not treated as personal property,” he said.The BJP leader also renewed his demand for the construction of a multipurpose auditorium within the complex, arguing that sufficient space was available for a venue that could host Marathi theatre performances and film screenings.