Former revenue minister Eknath Khadse has not been named in the chargesheet, filed by the Maharashtra Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) in a special anti-corruption court on Friday, which names two of his aides for demanding a bribe of Rs 30 crore. A spokesperson for the ACB said that no evidence to link Khadse to the case had been found. However, Khadse’s personal aide Gajanan Patil and former Officer on Special Deputation Unmesh Mahajan have been named in the chargesheet. Patil was trapped by the ACB on May 14 for allegedly demanding Rs 30 crore from a Mumbai-based social entrepreneur Dr Ramesh Jadhav. [related-post] Watch Video: What's making news Jadhav, the ACB said, had approached Khadse’s office to seek a review of a previous government order on allotment of a 10-hectare revenue land in Kalyan’s Nilje village. In August 2009, the state government had declared its intention to allot this land to Jadhav’s trust and even collected Rs 77.44 lakh as initial payment. However, the land was eventually allotted to the state transport department for a vehicle inspection centre on March 29, 2014. Jadhav’s payment was refunded, but the latter had challenged the government’s decision. The ACB said that Patil had initially demanded a bribe of Rs 1 crore and a flat from Jadhav to settle the matter in his favour. Later, Jadhav raised allegations of corruption against Patil, Khadse and Mahajan before the state Lokayukta. The chargesheet is yet to be brought on record in the Bombay City Civil and Sessions Court.
