Dapoli Resort Case: Case revolves around Anil Parab, yet he is not arrested or made accused, says Special Court

A special court, which on Tuesday took cognizance of the ED’s chargesheet in the Dapoli resort case concerning Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former minister Anil Parab, has said in its detailed order that the entire case and allegations revolve around Parab, yet he was not arrested or made an accused in the agency’s chargesheet.

Parab's aide, Dapoli's SDO named accused in chargesheet

The chargesheet had named two arrested accused -- Parab’s close friend and alleged aide Sadanand Kadam and Dapoli’s sub-divisional officer Jayaram Deshpande; some others were named, but not arrested. While one among these was an architect who was involved in the resort’s construction, others were government officials who violated norms while giving permissions. The ED’s chargesheet had references to Parab all along, but he was not named as an accused, though his statement recorded by the ED was attached to the probe document.

Prima facie material to indicate Kadam assisted Parab: Special Judge

Special Judge MG Deshpande said in the order that there is prima ­facie material to indicate that Kadam assisted Parab in suppressing the actual sale value and utilization of unaccounted cash of Rs.80 lakh during the purchase of the land. “Mr. Anil Parab invested his unaccounted money in cash and built the Dapoli resort in violation of CRZ III rules, causing detrimental damage to the environment and ecology of the sea shore by way of construction in prohibited CRZ,” the order read.

Judge Deshpande further stated that allegations in the chargesheet indicate that expenses for the (resort) construction were deliberately made in cash and before the registration of land in the name of Mr. Anil Parab. “All this was done with the intent to utilize the unaccounted money and hide the identity of the owner…” it stated.