A special court in Mumbai has rejected the discharge applications filed by former Maharashtra Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse, his wife Mandakini Khadse and their son-in-law Girish Chaudhari in the Bhosari land scam case, clearing the way for charges to be formally framed and for a full trial to begin. The court observed that the material available on record was sufficient to proceed and that the accused appeared to have “strategically” used Khadse’s political influence and official position to facilitate the disputed land transaction.
Special Judge Satyanarayan Navander said that questions such as whether the Sub-Registrar should also be named as an accused would be decided only during trial, depending on the evidence presented. At this stage, he said, the prosecution had established enough grounds to frame charges under corruption and money-laundering laws.
According to the Enforcement Directorate, the alleged scam centres on the purchase of a plot owned by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) in Pune’s Bhosari industrial area. Investigators claim that Khadse exploited his position as Revenue Minister to enable his wife and son-in-law to acquire the plot at an artificially low price. The land was bought for ₹3.75 crore, despite an assessed market value of ₹31.01 crore. The ED argues that this undervalued purchase caused significant loss to the state.
While Khadse and his wife were named as accused, they have not been arrested. Chaudhari, however, was arrested in July 2021 and spent more than two years in custody before being granted bail by the Supreme Court. The court also flagged irregularities in the execution of the sale deed, noting that the Sub-Registrar processed the transaction even though the land’s acquisition status had been officially published and recorded.
With the discharge pleas now dismissed, the case moves into its next phase, where charges will be framed, and the trial will formally commence.
