No arrest against Eknath Khadse till next hearing: ED assures Bombay High Court

The lawyers representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday assured the Bombay High Court that it would not arrest Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Eknath Khadse till next hearing.

The next hearing on the petition is scheduled for January 28, 2021, as it could not be complete due to the expiration of working hours. Therefore, Eknath Khadse will not be arrested till the next hearing, the ED told the Bombay High Court.

The assurance came in response to a petition filed by Khadse to quash the enforcement case information report (ECIR) registered by ED against him in connection with Bhosari land deal case.

The controversy pertains to the purchase of a plot in Bhosari, near Pune, by Khadse’s kin for ₹3.75 crores, against the prevalent market rate of ₹30 crores. Khadse, who had left BJP to join NCP last October had appeared before the ED on January 15 and was questioned for over six hours in connection to the case. Khadse had then moved a criminal writ petition before the HC seeking quashing of the ECIR and also sought interim protection from coercive action pending hearing of his plea.

Senior advocate Aabad Ponda, representing Khadse, told the court that as his client has been cooperating with the ED and had appeared before its office, he should not be arrested pending hearing.  Khadse’s plea also urged that no future summons be issued to him.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, representing the ED, opposed the plea and in its reply said that the ECIR was registered against Khadse. That ED had the right to call for an enquiry as it is part of the investigation. Singh argued that the summons does not mean that the person is an ‘accused’.