Regional Director

War of words divides Parsippany officials after Topgolf allegations. Morristown Daily Record Aug. 17, 2026, 4:35 a.m. ET Three men recently removed from township committees in Parsippany are embroiled in a growing controversy that involves one of the men suggesting township officials attempted to extort the township's newest big business − Topgolf, a $30 million sports-entertainment complex that opened just before the July 4 holiday weekend. Following weeks of rumors spreading around town that those officials "strong-armed" Topgolf for a donation to fund community events, the town council voted on July 21 to remove local developer Dr. Bhagirath Maheta and former Councilman Frank Neglia from the Parsippany Economic Development Committee. Both are Republicans. No reason was given at the time, but Maheta and Neglia were all rumored to be the source of those rumors. Maheta and Neglia, denied spreading any rumors. Maheta said he was "blindsided" by the committee ouster. But Maheta, in an interview on August 10, put his own allegations of "extortion" on the record. "There was an incident that took place in the name of donations that was extortion," said Maheta, who has bought and redeveloped several multi-million-dollar properties on the Parsippany Route 46 commercial corridor. They include four office buildings he bought for $10 million in 2021 and demolished to clear the Topgolf property, where he now serves as landlord. "They tried to shake down the manager of the Topgolf venue, and they tried to shake me," he said. "They tried to intimidate me, threaten me." Town officials respond. In another interview last week, Mayor Pulkit Desai said he was aware of rumors which alleged Business Administrator Khaled Madin and Township Attorney Joseph DeMarco had in some manner "strong-armed" Topgolf officials to contribute funds for community events such as fireworks or the summer concert series. The mayor denied those rumors, stating that donations were suggested at some point in a conversation in which Topgolf representatives asked what they could do for the community, but no demands were made. "Typical stuff that we have asked of other businesses, and they have," Desai said. DeMarco said he attended meetings with Madin and Topgolf engineers prior to its July 3 grand opening that were focused on last-minute lighting issues at the facility "to help, to the best of our ability, to get them open, because open businesses are good for the community." But there was no extortion or "strong-arming" of any kind, he said. "They went there to make sure everything was proper [with the lighting issue]," the mayor said. "And then Dr. Maheta shows up. He's ingratiated himself into every aspect of Topgolf, which is their problem. He's just the landlord." DeMarco added that town officials continue to meet with Topgolf officials on water-connection fees and other details related to the 12-acre complex as recently as Aug. 11 and "no one from Topgolf has said anything or complained about anything. Quite frankly, they've been very, very happy with the partnership, with the town." He is aware that Maheta was upset because he was not invited to the meetings, but that his involvement as landlord was not relevant to engineering discussions. "I don't know if there was a misunderstanding, but it had nothing to do with him," DeMarco said. Maheta said he wonders why the administration would "try to hurt the reputation" of someone who has invested millions in the town and brought in new businesses including Topgolf, Starbucks and Chick-fil-A to replace mostly vacant properties. "I am the only person on that committee who is serving the purpose of economically developing the town," Maheta said. "I have created 650 new jobs for residents. I have created millions of dollars for the town in property tax and I have not used a PILOT program. But they are going on hearsay that they heard the rumor." Neglia also said he was blindsided by his ouster. "I heard the rumors like everyone else in town, but I did not spread any rumors," he said. "I've always respected the mayor's office. To be shut out like this is a slap in the face." Party politics. The 3-1 council motion vote on July 21 fell along party lines, without discussion. Democrats Matt Kavanagh, Diya Patel and Council President Judy Hernandez voted in favor. Paul Carifi Jr. voted no and Matt McGrath abstained after asking for the reason behind the removals and not receiving a reply. Another Republican, Jigar Shah, was also removed from his committee position. Shah had also served as the town's liaison to the Indian community under former Mayor James Barberio. Desai said Shah had not been attending meetings and wanted to open his seat "to give someone else the opportunity to serve." "Participation matters," Desai said. Carifi and McGrath are the lone council holdovers from the longtime Republican majority in Morris County's largest municipality. Patel and Kavanagh swept into office in the 2025 election with Desai, who unseated incumbent Republican Barberio for the county's only full-time mayor's office. Running with Barberio, Neglia also lost his bid for a second council term in an election that gave Parsippany Democrats a council majority for the first time in decades. Responding to public inquiries about the committee vote, Desai discussed the issue at the following council meeting on Aug. 4. "I know that serious allegations have been circulated, accusing township officials of corruption and claiming there's audio and video evidence to support these accusations," Desai said. "If someone serving on your township committee truly believes there is corruption, they have an obligation to report it immediately. That's how we protect the public and the integrity of our government. Because with unverified accusations, you undermine public trust without giving anyone the opportunity to determine the truth." Maheta said he reached out to the mayor on three occasions to discuss his "serious allegations" but was rebuffed. Neglia said he also attempted to contact the mayor via email but did not hear back. Desai acknowledged meeting with Maheta about the issue, but said he came away with the impression the "misunderstanding" had been resolved. "However, both individuals simply continued to repeat these throughout the community; these allegations. That is not how responsible public service works," Desai said. In the followup discussion at the Aug. 4 council meeting, Hernandez added her take on the controversy. "I agreed with the mayor that the actions of those committee members were inconsistent with the standards of professionalism and judgment we expect from township advisory committees," she said. "Judy Hernandez hasn't called me or communicated with me to see the other side of the story," Maheta said. "Why are they being blind and just taking whatever these people are saying?" Maheta continued his allegations against Desai and his administration, claiming they "threatened" to claim eminent domain on one of his Route 46 properties, the Cerbo Lumber tract, and deny a certificate of occupancy for another. "They are denying [the "strong-arming" allegations] because they are scared it would give them a bad reputation in the business community," Maheta said. Desai said the accusations have placed his own reputation on the line. "I'm all for businesses," the mayor said. "But when my reputation or character is questioned, I have a big issue with that."

Topgolf opens new facility in Monona. August 14, 2026 Get Its Email Newsletter The companies, people and issues shaping business in Madison and the Capital Region. Topgolf, a Texas-based business that promotes itself as a golf entertainment destination, has opened its $30 million Madison area facility, its first in Wisconsin, along the Beltline in Monona. The facility held its grand opening Thursday on a 16-acre site that once contained buildings owned by WPS Health Solutions. It will offer 72 year-round hitting bays with cooling fans in the summer and heated bays in the winter, along with a sports bar and restaurant. Patrons can use their own golf clubs or Topgolf's complimentary clubs to shoot at giant outfield targets, and high-tech balls will score themselves. kd