Mumbai, Feb 13 Former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse and his wife, accused in an alleged money laundering case linked to a controversial land deal in Pune, on Friday appeared before a special court in Mumbai, leading it to cancel the non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against them.
Special judge for MPs/MLAs cases Mahesh Jadhav last week issued the NBW against the couple as they failed to turn up before the court, where their presence was required for framing of charges in the case.
On Friday, NCP (SP) MLC Khadse and his wife Mandakini appeared before the special judge and got the warrant cancelled.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had initiated the probe into the alleged money laundering case based on an FIR filed by the Pune unit of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
The central agency alleged that in 2016, Khadse, then the Revenue Minister in the BJP-led government, misused his official position to facilitate the purchase of a three-acre plot in Bhosari, Pune district, by his wife Mandakini and son-in-law Girish Chaudhari.
The court in December last year rejected their discharge plea on the ground that the material on record prima facie reveals that accused Mandakini Khadse and Girish Chaudhari have acquired the property by means which were not legally approved.
"The facts of the present case are clear and the dishonest intention of all the accused is eloquent from the contents of the agreement of sale and the actions of accused No. 1 (Eknath Khadse) to take undue advantage of the post he was holding," the court had held.
It stressed that prima facie, a case of criminal misconduct is made out and there is sufficient prima facie material to proceed with the trial.
Eknath Khadse and his wife have challenged the trial court order refusing to discharge them in the case.
Khadse had to step down from the cabinet in 2016 after he was accused of misusing his position to facilitate the purchase of government land in Bhosari industrial area by his wife and son-in-law.
The Khadse family purchased the land for Rs 3.75 crore when its actual price was Rs 31.01 crore, it was alleged.
