NCP leader Eknath Khadse alleges money laundering case politically motivated, questioning underway
"I left BJP and joined NCP and therefore this is being done to me. This is all politically motivated," said Eknath Khadse while appearing before the ED today.
FollowSenior NCP leader Eknath Khadse on Thursday alleged that the money laundering case against him was politically motivated, while appearing at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in Mumbai for questioning in the matter.
"I know this matter is politically motivated. An inquiry into this matter has already taken place. An inquiry is taking place again. How many more times will they probe? The Anti-Corruption Bureau has given a C-summary report in a Pune court saying that there is no truth in this. I am ready to cooperate," Khadse said.
The former Maharashtra Minister has already filed a plea in the Bombay High Court seeking quashing of the Enforcement Case Information Report registered by the ED. Though the ED informed the court that the ex-Muktainagar MLA was not an accused as per the ECIR, it added that not responding to their queries may become a ground for arrest. At present, his questioning by ED officials is underway.
The agency had issued summons to Khadse on Wednesday, asking him to appear before the ED on Thursday. The ED officials had arrested Khadse's son-in-law Girish Chaudhari in the case.
After being questioned at length in connection with the case at the central investigative agency’s office in south Mumbai, Chaudhary was produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court, which remanded him in the agency's custody for further probe.
According to the ED, an ECIR was recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on August 28, 2019, against Eknath Khadse, his wife Mandakini, son in law Girish Chaudhary and one Abbas Ukani, on the basis of an FIR filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Pune against them under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, alleging therein that land grab of a plot at Bhosari, Pune, belonging to MIDC and causing a loss to the exchequer to the tune of Rs 61.25 crore by fraudulently entering into sale deed.
The ED case stems from a Pune police anti-corruption bureau (ACB) FIR filed against Khadse, his wife Mandakini and Chaudhari in April 2017.
The agency claimed that alleged irregularities in the land deal caused a loss of Rs 61.25 crore to the exchequer "by fraudulently entering into a sale deed".
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