Court refuses to discharge Eknath Khadse in money laundering case linked to land deal

Mumbai, Dec 13 (PTI) A special court here has rejected the discharge applications of former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse and his kin in an alleged money laundering case related to a land deal in Pune, holding that there was sufficient material to proceed with the trial.

The special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has directed Khadse, his wife and co-accused Mandakini Khadse and son-in-law Girish Chaudhari to remain present on December 18 for the framing of charges.

On December 3, the court had refused to discharge them in the primary case registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated its probe based on the FIR registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Pune.

In the order passed on the same day, a copy of which was made available on Saturday, special PMLA court judge Satyanarayan Navander said Eknath Khadse prima facie took "undue advantage" of his position as revenue minister in the then BJP-Shiv Sena government.

The former BJP leader is accused of facilitating the purchase of a 3-acre plot in Bhosari, Pune, by his wife and son-in-law. The Khadse family purchased the land for Rs 3.75 crore when its market price was Rs 31.01 crore, it was alleged.

The special court stated that the material on record prima facie reveals that Mandakini Khadse and Girish Chaudhari acquired the property by means which are not legally approved.

"....the dishonest intention of all the accused is eloquent from the contents of the agreement of sale and the actions of accused no 1 (Eknath Khadse) to take undue advantage of the post he was holding," the court held.

A case of criminal misconduct was made out on the face of it, it added.

Khadse had to step down from the state cabinet in 2016 after the allegations regarding the land deal surfaced. PTI AVI KRK