Bhartiya Janata Party Leader (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya has approached the Bombay High Court (HC) seeking to intervene in the petition filed by Sadanand Kadam, owner of the resort at Dapoli which is allegedly owned by Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab.
Somaiya has alleged that Parab “played fraud by concocting documents in connivance with Sadanand Kadam for placement, layering and integration of corruption money in acquiring a benami property”.
Kadam had filed a plea in HC seeking quashing of the demolition order issued against the resort, contending that he is being roped into the proceedings due to Parab's political rivalries.
Kadam has sought quashing of the August 25 order of the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), which directed the collector (Ratnagiri) to take action against the resort and file a report without giving him a hearing. Also, an order was passed by the Ministry and Environment and Forest and Climate Change (MoEF & CC) on January 31, directing the removal of the structure in its entirety and restoring the land to its original condition. Additionally, MCZMA and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) were asked to recover Rs 25, 27,500 from the petitioner as environmental compensation.
Somaiya, in his intervention application, has stated that during the lockdown in 2020-2021, Parab “applied for 3 phase commercial/ construction powers supply to MSEDCL (Maharashtra State Electricity Board)”. The same was sanctioned on payment of Rs 11,000, which was paid from Parab’s bank account. “The application made by Mr Anil Parab for an electricity connection for a resort not owned by him raises a serious question as to why a sitting Minister would apply for electricity connection for a land if he does not own the same,” reads the application.
Further, he has alleged that Parab “sold” the resort to Kadam after his fraud of getting the title changed of the land from “agricultural” to “non-agricultural” came to light.
“The incongruous chain of events makes it apparent that Anil Parab played fraud by concocting documents in connivance with Sadanand Kadam for placement, layering and integration of corruption money in acquiring a benami property. The money for the construction of the resort was ostensibly owned by Shri Anil Parab was spent in cash, and a trail of concocted documents was created to layer the said proceeds of crime,” adds the application.
Opposing the quashing petition of Kadam, Somaiya has said that he has played an “active role in the acts of forgery, cheating and fraud to protect the erstwhile minister”.
The intervention application is listed for hearing before the HC on September 26 along with Kadam’s petition.
