ED issues notice to NCP's Eknath Khadse, others to vacate properties attached under PMLA

In a development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued notice to former Maharashtra revenue minister and NCP leader Eknath Khadse along with four others to vacate the premises that were attached by the agency in a money laundering case. The central agency had attached the properties mentioned in the notice last year in relation to the case. According to the notice, the ED will confiscate and take control of the buildings used by the former minister once they are vacated.

The ED issued notice to Eknath Khadse and others to vacate properties attached as part of a money laundering case. The central agency had attached properties including Khadse's bungalow in Lonavala, three flats in Jalgaon, three land parcels, along with some other buildings belonging to other accused in Pune, Nashik, and Surat last year. The attachments were done as part of the probe in a money laundering case related to the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) land deal.

According to the sources, the central agency sent the file regarding the attachment to the adjudicating authority, which recently approved the confiscation. Now, the ED has issued notice to Khadse, his son-in-law Girish Chaudhary, wife Mandakini, Insiya Badlawala, and M Ukani demanding vacating of the said properties. The agency will confiscate and take possession of the properties once vacated.

ED’s case against Khadse

As per the ECIR registered in October 2020 against Khadse, his wife Mandakini and son-in-law Girish Choudhari, the ED alleged a loss of Rs.62 crore to the public exchequer. According to the agency, Khadse misused his official position as the Maharashtra Revenue Minister in 2016 to manipulate the actual market price of a piece of land in Bhosari, Pune which was more than Rs 31 crore at that time. The ex-Muktainagar MLA has been accused of facilitating the purchase of this land at a low rate of Rs 3.75 crore with a "criminal intent" to later seek compensation from the MIDC which was to acquire the land in the future.

While Khadse has asserted that the land in question was bought by his wife and son-in-law legally, the agency claimed that its initial probe had uncovered evidence showing money laundering in the case. Conceding that the police had filed a closure report in a similar case registered in 2017, the ED pointed out that the report has not been accepted by a court in Pune. Moreover, it found out that the money used to buy the land came from 5 shell companies.

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