The Bombay High Court Wednesday rejected bail for Sadanand Kadam, an alleged close associate of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and member of Maharashtra Legislative Council Anil Parab, in a case registered by the Enforcement Directorate. A single-judge bench of Justice Makarand S Karnik passed the order . The central agency arrested Kadam in March this year while probing alleged money laundering connected to Sai Resort at Dapoli in Ratnagiri. The ED alleged that Parab intended to purchase land in Ratnagiri and approached his friend Kadam in 2017. Kadam moved the high court after the special court designated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in October this year rejected his bail plea and said Kadam apparently acted as a frontman of Parab and put pressure on authorities. The ED had earlier registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) of money laundering against Parab, following which the agency conducted raids at several locations linked to Parab and people close to him. The agency had initiated a probe based on a complaint filed by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change against Parab, Sai Resort, Sea Conch Resort and others before the judicial magistrate in Dapoli for violation of provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. An FIR was also registered in this regard at the Dapoli police station for allegedly deceiving and causing loss to the Maharashtra government. The ED claimed that a land identified for the construction of a twin bungalow was found to be in a No-Development Zone. However, it was a mutual understanding between Kadam and Parab that the former would manage the work of getting permission from competent authorities for the construction. Senior advocate Amit Desai and advocate Sudeep Pasbola for Kadam argued that there was no predicate offence as the magistrate did not take cognisance of the complaint. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Devang Vyas, for the ED, argued that the money laundering case against Kadam was valid as there is another predicate offence against him, for which an FIR was registered at the Dapoli police station. Desai claimed this case to be unconnected. Vyas argued there was sufficient material againsthe Kadam, and he should not be granted bail.
