E-Paper
ED probes NCP’s Khadse in Pune land case
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Eknath Khadse on Thursday was probed by Enforcement Directorate officials for nearly nine hours at the agency’s south Mumbai office, a day after his son-in-law was arrested in connection with the Bhosari (Pune) land fraud case
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Eknath Khadse on Thursday was probed by Enforcement Directorate officials for nearly nine hours at the agency’s south Mumbai office, a day after his son-in-law was arrested in connection with the Bhosari (Pune) land fraud case.
Khadse and his family have been accused of defrauding the government exchequer to the tune of ₹61.25 crore.
The NCP leader, who had quit the Bharatiya Janata Party last year, was earlier questioned by the central agency in January.
“It is a politically-motivated case. Earlier, five agencies had probed the same case and found nothing against me. I will cooperate with ED,” Khadse had told reporters before entering the ED office.
Khadse, his wife Mandakani, Chaudhari and (Bhosari) land owner Abbas Rasalbhai Ukani were booked in the money laundering case by the ED on August 28, 2019. The central agency’s case is based on a complaint by Maharashtra’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) against Khadse’s family in 2017. While the ACB had later shut the case, the ED continued its investigation into the alleged financial irregularities in the land deal.
The case pertains to the purchase of a plot at Bhosari village in Haveli Taluka of Pune district (having Survey No S2/2A/2) on April 28, 2016, by Khadse’s kin for ₹3.75 crore, against the prevalent market rate of ₹31 crore.
The ownership of the plot was contentious as the industries department had acquired it in 1971 but the final award of the plot was not made and the owner was not compensated.
According to the ED, Khadse and his family knew the plot was reserved for Maharashtra Industrial Development Cooperation. Yet they fraudulently purchased it so that they could claim a compensation of more than double the market rate whenever the MIDC would acquire it.
According to people familiar with the development, the NCP leader was quizzed over his role in the alleged illegal purchase of the land and fudging of records at the registration office.
The senior politician was also quizzed regarding a few meetings that took place in 2016 between the accused persons, including his son-in-law Chaudhari.
ED officers also tried to find out if Khadse was aware of five shell companies which were used in layering of funds to purchase the land, the people cited above said.
“We have been asked to submit certain documents. We will submit the same within 10 days. We will come as and when required by the ED. There has not been any other summons issued. We will cooperate with the investigation,” Khadse’s counsel Mohan Tekavade told reporters.
