The Bombay High Court on Thursday extended Nationalist Congress Party leader Eknath Khadse’s interim protection from coercive action till February 17 in an alleged land grab case in 2016.
A Division Bench of Justices S.S. Shinde and Manish Pitale was hearing a plea filed by Mr. Khadse, 68, seeking to quash the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) complaint filed in October last year alleging that the fraud caused a loss of ₹62 crore to the public exchequer.
Mr. Khadse’s plea said there was no illegality in the purchase of the land by his wife and son-in-law. The ED, however, said the former BJP leader misused his position as the State revenue minister to buy the land at ₹3.75 crore with an intent to seek compensation from the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation.
On January 15, Mr. Khadse appeared before the ED and senior advocate Aabad Ponda urged the court to grant his client protection from coercive action till the matter is heard. Additional Solicitor General Anil…