ED notice to NCP’s Eknath Khadse? Leader denies it

Though the leader denied receiving the notice, he said he was mentally prepared for any such move

Two months after he joined Maharashtra’s ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), senior leader Eknath Khadse is said to have received a notice from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a land deal case. Khadse has been asked to be present before the central agency on December 30, according to news reports.

Khadse has been asked to be present before the central agency on December 30, according to news reports. (HT FILE)

Khadse, however, told HT that he is yet to receive the notice, but was mentally prepared for any such move. The former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bigwig was also forced to resign from the ministerial council in the previous Devendra Fadnavis government, following allegations of graft and conflict of interest in a land deal at Bhosari near Pune four years ago. Khadse is said to have received notice from ED in the same land deal case.

“Apart from farming, I have no other income source. I was mentally prepared for this and had even said this while joining NCP. This would be my fifth probe in the same land deal case. The state anti-corruption bureau has investigated the case twice, while it has also been probed by the income tax department has and Zoting committee (formed by the previous regime),” Khadse said. “Until now, ED used to probe major cases worth hundreds of crores. Now if they want to investigate a land deal worth ₹25 crore-₹30 crore, then I should be happy that my name is added in list of big people,” he said. Satyabrat Kumar, joint director of the ED did not respond to calls.

Khadse joined NCP in October. State NCP chief Jayant Patil had said Khadse may have to face ED probe after quitting BJP. “If they unleash ED behind me, I will show the CD,” Khadse said referring to alleged proofs of corruption against BJP leaders.