Raj Thackeray Drops Bombshell in Kute’s Hotel: Nashik Honey Trap Exposed.

Unmesh Gujarathi
Sprouts News Exclusive
Contact: +91 9322755098

The Nashik Honey Trap scandal, led by hotelier Shailesh Kute, exposes a blackmail racket involving hidden cameras, top politicians, and officials. Over 72 leaders are allegedly compromised. With political ties across parties and land scam links, demands for an SIT probe grow as Sprouts SIT investigates deepening corruption and coercion.

The infamous Nashik Honey Trap case has exposed a chilling network of blackmail, political protection, and bureaucratic compromise. At the center of the controversy is hotelier Shailesh Kute, whose rise to prominence mirrors the notorious legacy of Ulhasnagar’s underworld don-turned-politician, Pappu Kalani. Much like Kalani’s Seema Resort on the banks of the Ulhas River—infamous for secretly filming politicians and bureaucrats for extortion—Kute’s luxury resort in Nashik is alleged to have been the epicenter of a similar operation, albeit with modern sophistication.

According to multiple sources and past reports, Kute’s resort was equipped with Rs. 8 crore worth of covert Chinese surveillance equipment, used to secretly film ministers, MLAs, IAS, and IPS officers in compromising situations. These recordings were allegedly weaponized for blackmail and extortion, allowing Kute to build powerful political connections and amass immense wealth.

The comparison to Pappu Kalani is not unwarranted. Kalani’s Seema Resort became infamous in the 1990s for filming intimate encounters involving top brass—from ministers to top-ranking bureaucrats. The fear of exposure led to the eventual demolition of the resort under heavy secrecy, including the destruction of evidence via a staged fire. Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT) has found alarming parallels in Kute’s resort operations—allegedly frequented by Maharashtra’s political elite, including current and former ministers.

Most explosive is the claim that over 72 officials and ministers are compromised, with their video clips allegedly in circulation. The first public expose of the scandal came from MNS Chief Raj Thackeray, who surprisingly chose Kute’s own resort to hold a press conference revealing the Honey Trap operation. Despite Thackeray’s longstanding personal rapport with Kute—whose sister Sujata Dhere is a senior MNS leader and ex-corporator—the revelation has raised several questions about political complicity and timing.

Shailesh Kute is no stranger to politics. Once a Congress corporator, he has since maintained cordial ties with leaders across all major parties. His resort has allegedly hosted frequent stays by prominent figures including former Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, former CM Ashok Chavan, Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, and Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena. In fact, Sanjay Raut’s claim that the Honey Trap scandal weakened the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, causing the defection of four MPs, is said to have originated from this very hotel.

Sources indicate that Kute’s name surfaces frequently in controversial land deals across Gangapur, Trimbakeshwar, and Saraf Bazaar, with prices skyrocketing due to political shielding. The Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT) urges that these transactions be scrutinized, especially regarding the transfer of land owned by Dalits and marginalized communities, and the conversion of Christian trust lands on Sharanpur Road—suspected of procedural violations.

One of the most damning revelations involves a Home Guard woman allegedly using a sex tape to extort Rs. 3 crore from an Additional District Collector. When her demand increased to Rs. 10 crore, the officer reportedly filed a case at Mumbai Naka Police Station, confirming part payment. According to sources, Kute personally brokered a hush settlement, and as a result, files pending with that officer against Kute were quietly dropped.

Sprouts SIT investigations also link Revenue Minister Vikhe Patil to possible file clearances influenced by Kute or the Home Guard woman. The complex web of influence and coercion allegedly spans multiple departments, including police, revenue, and urban development.

Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, while acknowledging the honey trap existence in the Assembly, stopped short of naming Kute. However, the allegations of hidden surveillance, land scams, and extortion rackets cannot be overlooked. Experts are now demanding that an independent Special Investigation Team (SIT) be formed to examine:

•The extent of surveillance-based blackmail in Nashik’s resorts

•Role of Kute in influencing land and revenue transactions

•Political protection and the complicity of elected representatives

•Links to the 2003 Abdul Karim Telgi scam, which also originated from Nashik’s hotels

Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT) reiterates that the state’s reputation is at stake. The Nashik hotel industry, once a symbol of growth, is now tainted by suspicion. Unchecked, this could spiral into a security and ethical crisis.

It is imperative that the Maharashtra government takes immediate and transparent action. The image of Nashik cannot be allowed to degrade into a den of blackmail and political compromise. Allegations involving surveillance, bribery, sexual coercion, and unlawful land transfers deserve a full, public accounting.

The people of Nashik deserve clarity—and justice. And the only way forward is an impartial, judicially monitored Special Investigation Team.

Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT) will continue to uncover the layers of this explosive story.