The Bombay High Court on Friday extended till April 17 the interim protection granted to Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Anil Parab in connection with a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
A Division Bench of Justices S.B. Shukre and M.M. Shukre was hearing a petition by Mr. Parab seeking to quash the complaint by ED against him and directed that no coercive action be taken against him till April 17.
In December 2022, the Income Tax Department served notice to Sai Resort in Dapoli under the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act. The department claims Mr. Parab is the beneficial owner of the resort and businessman Sadanand Kadam is his front. The ED provisionally attached assets worth ₹10.20 crore of Mr. Parab over the same case in January.
The investigation was initiated on the basis of a complaint filed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) against Mr. Parab, Sai Resort, Sea Conch Resort and others, before the judicial magistrate of Dapoli, for alleged violation of The Environment (Protection) Act. A First Information Report was also registered by Dapoli Police on charges of deceiving and causing loss to Maharashtra government.
The ED had previously contended, “Mr. Parab in connivance with businessman Sadanand Kadam got illegal permission from local sub-divisional office for conversion of use of land from agricultural to non-agricultural purpose and constructed resort in violation of coastal regulation zone (CRZ) norms. Mr. Parab had acquired illegal permission from the Revenue Department for construction of a twin bungalow over a piece of land falling under CRZ-III i.e. no development zone.”
