ED says Parab’s friend lent his name to Dapoli resort, names him accused

The chargesheet — called prosecution complaint by the ED — includes statements of 13 witnesses as well as statements of seven others, including Parab. The leader’s statement was recorded thrice in June 2022.

He claimed in the statement that he had purchased the land in Dapoli in May 2017 for Rs 1 crore to construct a bungalow for personal use from one Vibhas Sathe. Within a few days, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between him and Kadam on May 12, 2017. As per the MoU, Parab said, he had agreed to sell the land to Kadam for Rs 1.10 crore and the plan was changed from building a four-bungalow for personal use to a 14-bedroom resort.

Kadam was also tasked with obtaining necessary permissions to change the land use from agricultural to non-agricultural.

The ED claims that the MoU was brought on record as an afterthought and that evidence showed that the property was meant for Parab from the start and expenses were made by him. The purchase of land and subsequent construction of Sai Resort was executed by Parab, the ED said.

“It was only after the issue of illegal construction in Coastal Regulation Zone-III, irregularities with regard to Sai Resort NX came under media scrutiny and various activists filed complaints, accused Sadanand Kadam lent his name and became the owner of said property to cover up the criminalities and shift the onus as well as consequences on himself from Shri Anil Parab.

Thereafter, Shri Anil Parab devised a way and sold the said land to accused Sadanand Kadam which was done in consensus,” the ED chargesheet claims, adding that the land was sold to Kadam only on paper.

The agency claims Kadam assisted Parab in suppressing the actual sale of the land and in utilising unaccounted cash to the tune of Rs 80 lakh paid to the owner while purchasing the land for Rs 1.80 crore. While one crore was shown as a bank transfer from Parab’s account to the owner’s account, Rs 80 lakh was unaccounted cash.

The ED claims that Parab’s name was not included in the sale deed in 2017 as both him and Kadam were aware that the construction was illegal and it could directly implicate him as the owner. The ED has included the statement of an architect who said that he had informed Kadam and Parab about the land being in a no-development zone.

It is claimed that local authorities, including in the gram panchayat and revenue department, were pressurised and Parab’s influence as a Member of the Legislative Council was used to get clearances without verification of the land status.

Apart from Kadam, the ED has named Jayram Deshpande, the then sub-divisional officer, Dapoli, Sudhir Pardule, the then circle officer, who is alleged to have given a wrong inspection report, Suresh Tupe, a former sarpanch, Anant Koli, a gram sevak and agent Vinod Dipolkar. The ED also claimed that the original owner’s signature was forged while taking permission for conversion of the land use.

Parab has been granted interim protection from arrest by the Bombay High Court till June 12.

Kadam is a younger brother of Ramdas Kadam, a former minister who has now switched over to the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.