Jalgaon (Maharashtra): Girish Chaudhary, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Eknath Khadse's son-in-law, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the early hours of Wednesday in an alleged Pune government land deal case,2016. Chaudhary was arrested around 3 am after interrogating him for at least 13 hours at the ED's office in south Mumbai. It is expected that Chaudhary will be produced before a special court considering cases registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). ED officials also raised allegation that Chaudhary was not cooperative during interrogation.
ED sources said it is also investigating Khadse in connection with the case. Mandakini Khadse, Eknath Khade's wife, is also named in the case.
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Khadse, 68, the then revenue minister in the Devendra Fadnavis government, was accused of illegally buying three acres of land in Pune's Bhosari area in 2016. The land belonged to the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). The plot was registered in Mandakini and Girish's names. Following criticisms, he was compelled to step down from power. He joined the NCP last year after switching from the Bharatiya Janata Party, as per reports.
Earlier this year, Khadse was interrogated by the ED and his statement was also recorded. Khadse claimed innocence and said the state Anti-Corruption Bureau, Income Tax Department had given him a clean chit in the matter, reports said.
The case surfaced after Hemant Gawande, a Pune-based businessman, filed a complaint at Bund Garden police station in the city in 2016. Gawande alleged Khande missed his power as a minister and purchased land plot owned by the MIDC in Bhosari area in his relatives' name for Rs 3.75 crore instead of market price Rs 40 crore, as per reports.
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