Land case: FIR registered against Dhananjay Munde before SC gives relief

NCP leader Dhananjay Munde Friday got relief from the Supreme Court which stayed the Bombay High Court's order directing registration of a case against him for alleged illegal purchase of a government land. But before the SC order came, police in Beed district registered a case of cheating and forgery against Munde and 13 others as per the high court's June 11 directive.

Munde, the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, had approached the Supreme Court against the high court's order. "I welcome this SC's decision. The truth has prevailed," he said in a statement.

The Supreme Court also sought response from the BJP- led Maharashtra government on Munde's plea. Before the apex court's order came, a case was registered Friday morning at Bardapur police station in Beed district under IPC sections 420 (cheating) and 471 (forgery) against Munde and 13 others.

The high court, on Tuesday, had directed the police to file a case against the NCP leader in connection with alleged illegal purchase of government land in Pus village of Ambajogai tehsil in Beed district on a petition filed by Rajabhau Phad.

Phad had alleged that the land belonged to the government and was given to the Belkhandi Math as a gift when Ranit Wyanka Giri was its mahant (head). It was sold to Munde in 2012 without the government's permission, he contended.

Munde has stated that the land was purchased "as per rules and without hoodwinking anyone, organization or the government", and the petition was filed to pursue "political vendetta" as he had flagged an alleged loan fraud involving Phad's father-in-law Ratnakar Gutte earlier.

-PTI