Ex-Minister Eknath Khadse Faces Trial in Land Deal Money Laundering Case

A special court has moved forward with money laundering charges against former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse, his wife, and son-in-law related to a land deal in Pune. The court emphasized sufficient evidence exists for trial, detailing Khadse's apparent misuse of his position.

In a significant development, a special court has dismissed the discharge applications of former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse, along with his family members, in a high-profile money laundering case linked to a land transaction in Pune.

The decision, rendered by the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court, necessitates the appearance of Khadse, his wife Mandakini, and son-in-law Girish Chaudhari on December 18 to hear the charges. This follows a prior refusal to discharge them under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The court's directive came in the wake of an Enforcement Directorate investigation, initiated after an Anti-Corruption Bureau FIR, alleging Khadse's misuse of ministerial power to acquire land valued at Rs 31.01 crore for Rs 3.75 crore. Khadse resigned amid these allegations in 2016.