Lagatar24 Desk
Mumbai, Oct.21: In a money laundering case involving a 2016 Pune land deal, the Bombay High Court has granted interim protection from arrest to NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse for one week on Thursday.
Justice N W Sambre’s single bench ordered Khadse to seek regular bail from the special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court.
Khadse had applied for pre-arrest bail in the case, and the court was hearing his application.
Shirish Gupte, Khadse’s lawyer, maintained that a charge sheet had already been submitted in the case and that he had never been arrested during the investigation.
After taking cognizance of the charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the matter, the special court called Khadse to appear before it earlier this month.
The ED’s Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh argued on Thursday that Khadse would have to go to a special court for regular release.
Justice Sambre said, “The applicant shall file for regular bail or seek interim bail before the special court in one week from today. The special court shall not take the applicant in custody for one week and shall decide the bail plea expeditiously.”
The case also names Khadse’s wife Mandakini and their son-in-law Girish Chaudhary as accused. Chaudhary was arrested in connection with the case a few months ago and is currently being held in judicial custody.
ED claims Chaudhary and Khadse paid Rs 3.75 crore for government land in Bhosari, near Pune, but the true cost was Rs 31.01 crore.
Khadse allegedly exploited his official position as state tax minister at the time to aid the deal, according to the prosecution.
Following a controversy over the purchase of land, Khadse resigned as revenue minister of the then-BJP-led state government in June 2016. He quit BJP in October last year and later joined NCP.
