Maharashtra Government today announced appointment of retired Bombay High Court judge Dinkar Zoting to probe allegations of irregularities against former Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse in the purchase of land near Pune.
"The government was considering appointment of a retired HC judge in view of news reports about the 'alleged irregularities' in the land transaction," a GR issued today said.
Accordingly, Zoting has been appointed, it said.
The inquiry will ascertain if the land was acquired by MIDC and whether the land was eligible to be transferred or sold as per MIDC norms, it said.
The probe will have to be completed in three months, the GR said.
While appointing retired High Court judge Dinkar Zoting for the probe, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has decided against including other accusations leveled against Khadse.
Zoting retired as a Bombay High Court judge in 2006.
Khadse, the senior-most BJP leader, had to resign earlier this month over the controversial deal wherein he had purchased three-acre plot at Bhosri, believed to be owned by Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) in name of his kin for Rs 3.75 crore as against the market price of Rs 40 crore.
Three days ago, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced that a judicial committee of a retired Bombay High Court judge will probe the purchase of the MIDC land.
The 64-year-old veteran BJP leader from north Maharashtra had been facing a series of allegations including irregularities in a land deal in Pune and of getting calls allegedly from fugitive Dawood Ibrahim's residence in Karachi on his mobile phone besides the alleged bribe sought by a personal aide.
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Meanwhile, talking to reporters in Bhusawal, in Jalgaon district, Khadse claimed that the charges against him were "baseless".
"Whatever allegations have been levelled against me are baseless. A fortnight before I resigned, I had called for a probe into these allegations," he said.
In an apparent reference to former AAP leader Anjali Damania, he said the "woman who was going against me, was doing it so for cheap publicity".
"I had challenged her to show proof against me in any of the cases, but the woman could not submit any," the former minister claimed.
On June 2 (two days prior to Khadse's resignation), Damania had sat on a hunger strike in Mumbai demanding his ouster from Maharashtra cabinet in the wake of charges of impropriety over purchase of MIDC land.
She had also demanded a time-bound inquiry into the matter led by a retired High Court judge.
Khadse also said no prominent political party had levelled any allegations against him.
