Maharashtra's Dapoli Sai Resort scam: ED arrests Former SDO Jairam Deshpande from Mumbai

ED logo. File Pic

Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday arrested former sub-divisional officer (SDO) Jairam Deshpande from Mumbai in connection to the alleged Dapoli resort case.

Earlier on Saturday, a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Court in Mumbai sent Sadanand Kadam, a close aide of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader and former Maharashtra minister Anil Parab to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till March 15 in connection with the alleged Dapoli Sai Resort scam.

ED had sought 14 days of custody of Kadam who was produced before the court on Saturday. ED told the court it issued three summons to Kadam since he did not appear before the agency.

ED said it took Kadam to its office and started recording his statement. The agency told the court that he was giving evasive replies.

The agency said in 2017 Anil Parab wanted to buy land hence he contacted Sadanand Kadam. Kadam allegedly helped Parab to buy the land and the deal was finalized at Rs 1.80 crore. Parab transferred Rs 1 crore through banking and Rs 80 lakh unaccounted cash through Vibhas Sathe.

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"When we questioned Vibhas Sathe, he confirmed it. But when we questioned Sadanand, he denied such transactions. In May 2017, the transaction took place but the land was registered in 2019. They did not want to show that the land is with Anil Parab," ED told the court.

In February this year, Kadam challenged the Income Tax department after it had provisionally attached Sai Resort under the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act (PBPTA) in December 2022.

Anil Parab has a resort in Dapoli which is allegedly illegal and Parab is accused of corruption in building the resort.

In 2022, the ED also called Parab in the alleged money laundering case in the Dapoli resort case. It was alleged that the rules of the Union Environment Ministry have been ignored to build the resort, due to which the Environment Ministry declared it illegal and also complained about this in the Dapoli court.

Based on the same complaint, ED filed Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and started an investigation into the matter.

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