A Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), used by renowned anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare during his various agitations, fetched a price of Rs 9.11 lakh at an auction held on Sunday, at his native Ralegan Siddhi village in Ahmednagar district of western Maharashtra.
Owned by a Hazare-run trust Swami Vivekanand Krutudnata Nidhi, the eight-year-old SUV — Mahindra Scorpio W CRDe — was purchased by one Atul lokhande, deputy sarpanch of Devdethan Gram Panchayat from Srigonda taluka of Ahmednagar district. lokhande hasd participated in many of Hazare’s anti-corruption agitations in the past.
There were in all 16 bidders, including lokhande, at the auction organised by the Hazare-run trust. The bids for the eight-year-old SUV opened at Rs 4.05 lakh and closed at Rs 9,11,111.
Sources close to Hazare said that the anti-corruption crusader planned to purchase an eight-seater Rs 18 lakh-worth Toyota Innova car. Hazare, who suffers from back pain, had in the recent been advised by doctors to change his vehicle.
After purchasing the car at the auction, lokhande requested Hazare to keep the vehicle with his trust so that it could be used by Anna’s aides who accompany him on his tours. However, Hazare turned down the request.
Talking to media persons after purchasing the car Hazare-run, lokhande said that he had purchased the vehicle to help Anna buy a new car. “I had offered money to Anna to purchase a new Innova car. But, Anna refused to accept money. That was the reason that I participated in the auction,” lokhande said.
Hazare had travelled by the now-auctioned Mahindra Scorpio W CRDe during various tours since 2007. Among the tours that he undertook was during his agitations against the corrupt Maharashtra Ministers from 2007 to 2009. He used the same vehicle during the much-discussed lokpal movement in 2011. The vehicle was attacked by Congress workers at Nagpur in 2011.
Interacting with media persons after his car was sold at the auction, Hazare said: “Selling the car with which I have been associated for so many years is like seeing off the daughter to her in-laws’ place after marriage. I have similar sad feeling now. Simultaneously, I am happy that the vehicle is now going to a good person’s home”.