SC relief for Dhananjay Munde in alleged illegal purchase of land in Beed
The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday passed the order related to the purchase of land at Pus village in Ambejogai tehsil.
In relief for senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and leader of Opposition in the legislative council Dhananjay Munde, the Supreme Court (SC) on Friday stayed a high court order to register a case against him and 13 others, including his wife Rajshri, for alleged illegal purchase of government land in Beed in 2012.
The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday passed the order related to the purchase of land at Pus village in Ambejogai tehsil. Munde told the SC that the HC had not allowed them to explain their side before passing the order. The Apex court also issued notices to the state and complainant in the case. “The charges against me are false and the high court passed the order without hearing our side. I would say it’s a victory for truth,” Munde said.
The stay, however, came hours after the Bardapur police station in Beed district filed a case against him in the case. Munde and 13 others have been booked under section 420, 464, 465, 468, and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on Friday.
Sreedhar Govindarajan, Beed superintendent of police, confirmed they have booked Munde, his wife and 12 others in the case. “We are yet to receive the official copy of the SC order. I guess it will be a stay on investigation. In that case, we will have to wait for further orders of the court. .”
According to a petition filed by Rajabhau Phad in the Aurangabad bench of the HC, the land belongs to the state, as it was given to the Belkhandi Math (monastery) as gift when Ranit Wyanka Giri was its mahant (priest). According to the law, such land cannot be transferred without the government’s permission. Despite that, Munde bought it in 2012.
Phad first approached Beed’s Bardapur police station. As the police didn’t take any action, he approached the high court, seeking lodging of an FIR.