Bombay High Court Denies Interim Relief To Former Minister Eknath Khadse In 2016 Land Deal Case, To Hear Arguments On Jan 21

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday refused to grant an ad-interim relief to former Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Eknath Khadse, who sought a stay on the proceedings pending before a Special Court to frame charges against him, his wife Mandakini Khadse and son-in-law Girish Chaudhari in a 2016 land deal.

According to the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), Khadse proceeded with the land deal despite the fact that the land in question belonged to Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). Khadse was then a minister and a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is presently with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (Sharad Pawar Faction).

On December 3, 2025 Special Court refused to discharge Khadse and his family members booked in the corruption case pertaining to the sale of land between its owners in Pune's Bhosari area and his wife Mandakini and son-in-law Chaudhari. The Special Court has clearly said that it will be framing charges against the accused on January 16. 

There are two separate cases based on the same FIR, one being probed by the ACB and the other by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). 

The ACB's case is that the land in question was purchased by the Khadse family members from one Ukani family, which then approached the court claiming that their lands were acquired by the government and thus they were entitled to compensation. The ACB also claimed that the land was purchased much below the prevailing market rate.

On Tuesday, Khadse family's appeals were listed for hearing before single-judge Justice Ashwin Bhobe wherein his counsel Ashish Vernekar urged the court to either pass an ad-interim order or let the prosecution make a statement before the court that they will "hold their hands" before the Special Court on January 16. 

It was contended that if the Special Court proceeds with framing charges on January 16, then the instant petitions would become 'infructous' and he will then have to again amend the same. 

However, Chief Public Prosecutor Mankunwar Deshmukh representing the State in the ACB case, refused to make such a statement as she had "no instructions" for the same and urged the court to adjourn the hearing for her to make her detailed submissions after studying the case papers as the instant plea were circulated upon mentioning before Justice Bhobe's bench.

Justice Bhobe too noted that the order impugned before him was passed on December 3, 2025 while Khadse's legal team filed the instant pleas only after January 3, which is nearly after an 'unexplained' delay of a month. 

The judge therefore said, "I am not on the point of ad-interim relief today because there is a delay on your part (in approaching the court) which needs to be explained. I was sitting even during vacations, you could have mentioned it then."

The judge therefore, granted time to Deshmukh to study the case papers and make her detailed submissions on January 21. He also issued notice to the ED to file their reply on the next date of hearing.