Mumbai: ED grills NCP leader Eknath Khadse for 7 hours in Pune land deal case

Eknath Khadse at NCB office in Mumbai. Pic/Suresh Karkera

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday questioned Nationalist Congress Party leader Eknath Khadse for nearly 7 hours in connection with a Pune MIDC land deal case, official sources said here on Friday.

Khadse, 68, who recently recovered from Covid-19, arrived at the ED office in south Mumbai around 11 am, nearly three weeks after he was first summoned in the alleged land-grab case, and stepped out at nearly 6 pm.

"I have fully cooperated with the ED today and will continue to do so even in future. I have replied to all their questions and provided all evidences required in the matter and shall do so when required further," Khadse said in a brief media interaction after emerging from the ED office.

Last month, a team of ED had gone to Pune to scrutinise evidences and gather documents pertaining to the alleged irregularities in the deal, which forced Khadse to quit as minister in the erstwhile BJP-led government in 2016.

Subsequently, the ED recorded the statement of whistle-blower activist Anjali Damania in the matter in which she had moved the court.

Damania had also submitted documents and other evidences concerning the land deal which the State Anti-Corruption Bureau had probed, given a clean chit to Khadse and closed the case.

On his part, Khadse - who quit the BJP to join the NCP last October - has claimed innocence and said the entire transaction was absolutely transparent without any kind of irregularities.

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