ED arrests deputy collector-rank officer; Bombay HC protects Anil Parab from arrest till March 20

Jaydev Deshpande, the former sub-divisional officer of Dapoli, was arrested on Tuesday and produced before a special court. The ED told the court that Deshpande had given permission to convert the land – on which the resort was constructed – from agricultural to non-agricultural in 2017 “due to pressure and influence” of Parab.

While Special Public Prosecutor Sunil Gonsalves sought five-day custody of Deshpande, the court granted ED permission for his custodial interrogation till March 18. The ED stated that the application for the conversion of the land came before Deshpande on July 21, 2017, when he was the sub-divisional officer (SDO) in Dapoli’s revenue department. It claimed that while the land was bought by Parab in 2017, the sale deed was not made till 2019 to conceal his identity.

The agency further said that by forging the signature of previous owner Vibhas Sathe, an application to convert the land’s use was submitted before Deshpande’s office. The ED claimed Deshpande passed sanction/approval order dated July 12, 2017, to grant conditional no-objection certificate for construction of a twin bungalow of ground plus one floor structure on the land.

It added that Deshpande granted the permission without following procedure, even as the town planning department expressed its objection since the land fell within Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). The ED claimed that Deshpande had knowingly and indirectly indulged in generating proceeds of crime under Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Lawyer Tanveer Nizam, representing Deshpande, said he had been transferred as the SDO in 2019 and the construction of the resort is said to have been begun in 2020. He added that as per records, Deshpande had granted conditional permission, which was to lapse in 2018, and therefore, could not be held responsible for the resort’s construction. No action has been initiated against the current authorities or those during whose tenure the construction was done, Nizam said.

Special Judge M G Deshpande said prima facie it shows the conduct of the accused in granting permission to convert the land’s use despite knowing that it fell in CRZ. The court noted that Deshpande is seen to have played an important role, for which his custodial interrogation is necessary.