Former BJP minister Eknath Khadse, who joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in October final yr, was on Thursday questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for almost 9 hours in reference to the 2016 Pune land deal. A day earlier, the ED had arrested Khadse’s son-in-law Girish Chaudhary within the case.
The company alleged that Choudhary and Khadse purchased Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) land at Bhosari in Pune for Rs 3.75 crore, whereas its precise worth was greater than Rs 31 crore. According to ED officers, the land was purchased within the identify of Choudhary and the cash for the deal was allegedly routed by 5 shell firms.
The ED had filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) on this regard in October final yr towards Khadse, his spouse Mandakini Khadse, Chaudhary and the unique proprietor of the land, Abbas Ukani.
Khadse was earlier given a clear chit by the Pune metropolis police and the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in the identical land deal case. Subsequently, activist Anjali Damania challenged the ACB’s report in a Pune courtroom which acknowledged lack of proof towards Khadse. The matter continues to be pending within the courtroom. Meanwhile, earlier this yr, the ED collected paperwork associated to the land deal case from Damania’s lawyer Asim Sarode.
Here is the timeline of the case
Pune realtor’s police grievance grievance towards Khadse
The matter got here to gentle when Hemant Gawande, a Pune-based realtor, filed a grievance utility towards Khadse and others associated to the Bhosari MIDC land deal on May 30, 2016 on the Bundagarden police station.
Gawande had alleged that Khadse, who was then BJP chief and state income minister, had misused his energy to purchase round three acres of Bhosari MIDC land within the identify of his spouse and son-in-law for Rs 3.75 crore towards the market. 40 crore value Rs. Gawande had additionally accused Khadse of dishonest the state exchequer on this land deal.
Refuting the allegations, Khadse had then stated that Gawande was an aggrieved one that needed to flee the fees leveled towards him six to eight months in the past for exhibiting faux papers to seize land value Rs 400 crore was. Khadse had additionally stated {that a} grievance has been lodged towards Gawande on this regard at Shivajinagar police station on behalf of each the income and agriculture departments.
Khadse resigns as minister, appoints judicial fee to probe land deal
In June 2016, following allegations of corruption, Khadse resigned because the minister. Then, on 23 June 2016, the state authorities appointed a judicial fee, headed by retired HC Justice Dinkar Joting, to probe the land deal.
Gawande filed a petition earlier than the Bombay High Court (HC) looking for dismissal of the judicial fee and registration of a First Information Report (FIR) towards Khadse. On February 14, 2017, the senior police inspector of Bundagarden police station filed an affidavit in reply to the HC stating that prima facie there is no such thing as a materials to make a cognizable offense in order that an FIR will be registered within the matter.
High Court orders ACB probe into land deal
But, on March 8, 2017, HC Justices Ranjit More and Revathi Mohite Dere ordered an inquiry by the Maharashtra ACB into the matter. The HC requested the ACB to register an FIR and examine it “independently and without reference to the inquiry conducted by the judicial commission of retired judge Joting”.
“ACB will complete the investigation expeditiously and act as per law. We also clarify that the Court has not expressed any opinion on the merits of the matter at this stage. The investigation will be supervised by a senior officer not below the rank of Additional Director General of Police, ACB,” it directed.
Accordingly, the ACB registered an offense beneath the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 109 of the Indian Penal Code towards Khadse, his spouse, son-in-law, Ukani and different unidentified individuals on the Bundagarden police station. Giving a clear chit to Khadse, the ACB had in April 2018 submitted a report within the particular courtroom which held that the land deal was not unlawful.
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Activist Anjali Damania challenges ACB’s clear chit to Khadse
In May 2018, activist Anjali Damania filed an attraction in a Pune courtroom towards the ACB’s report, which stated that there was no concrete proof of monetary irregularities by Khadse within the Bhosari MIDC land deal.
Damania’s lawyer Asim Sarode stated, “The court has allowed our intervention… Arguments took place thrice before the court. We have submitted relevant documents before the court to show that there is prima facie evidence against Khadse. ..but the court has not passed any order yet. The next hearing is on July 16.”
Sarode additionally stated that the ED officers had approached him in December 2020 and had sought paperwork in reference to the Bhosari MIDC land deal case towards Khadse. “I have given the documents to the ED,” Sarode informed The Indian Express.
The ED had issued discover to Khadse in December 2020 in reference to the land deal. Khadse appeared earlier than the ED on January 15 this yr when he was questioned for over six hours in reference to the case.
Later, he filed a legal writ petition earlier than the Bombay HC, looking for quashing of the ECIR and interim safety from coercive motion for listening to his plea.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
