Pune land deal case: Bail plea of Eknath Khadse’s son-in-law rejected

Chaudhari had claimed to the agency that this money was a loan he had taken from Benchmark Buildcon, however, the agency had later found out the money was layered and routed through shell companies.

The special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Friday rejected the bail application of Girish Chaudhari, son-in-law of NCP leader Eknath Khadse. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a charge sheet in the matter against Chaudhari in the Pune land deal case.

NCP leader Eknath Khadse. (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

Advocate Mohan Tekavde had argued for Chaudhari that no actual loss was caused to the government exchequer due to the deal and sections 3 and 4 of PMLA did not apply to them and the arrest itself was illegal.

ED counsel Hiten Venegaonkar and Kavita Patil had opposed the plea, primarily citing that the agency was about to file a charge sheet in the matter.

They said the sale deed was executed in the name of Chaudhari and Khadse’s wife Mandakini at a much lower price of ₹ 3.75 crore when the actual market price of the plot was much more - about ₹ 31 crore.

They added that the sale deed was entered to get compensation - thrice the market price of the plot - from the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).

The prosecutors pointed out that the money for the alleged deal was routed through five shell companies. Part of the money was received from Benchmark Buildcon Private Limited, a company that had no income and didn’t exist at its registered office. The agency had further found that Benchmark had, in turn, received the money from five other non-existing shell companies - Proficient Merchandise, Abjayoni Trading, Adamina Traders, Chemexgoods Private Limited and Pearl Dealers Private Limited.

Chaudhari had claimed to the agency that this money was a loan he had taken from Benchmark Buildcon. However, the agency had later found out the money was layered and routed through shell companies.

Venegaonkar had further argued that while Khadse was the revenue minister in 2016, he used his position and government machinery to manipulate the actual market price of land. The deal cost the state exchequer a loss of ₹ 61.25 crores.

The ACB had registered an FIR against Eknath Khadse, Mandakini his wife, son-in-law Chaudhari and original landowner Abbas Ukani on the directions of the Bombay High Court.