Bhujbal, 45 others cleared in Maharashtra Sadan money laundering case

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A Mumbai special court has discharged NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal and 45 others in a money laundering case linked to the construction of Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi and a housing project in Navi Mumbai. The court ruled that the prosecution under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) lacked a 'predicate offence', a necessary condition for the case to proceed. The accused, including Bhujbal's son Pankaj, nephew Sameer, and former MP Sanjay Kakade, were cleared after the court found that they had already been discharged from related corruption and cheating cases. The probe agency had alleged that the accused misused their positions and entered into a conspiracy to cheat and cause financial loss to the government. The case relates to contracts awarded by Bhujbal in 2005-2006 when he was the Maharashtra Public Works Department (PWD) minister. The court's decision comes after a two-year-long investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The case is seen as a significant setback for the government's efforts to crack down on corruption and money laundering in the state. The court's ruling has been welcomed by the accused and their lawyers, who had argued that the prosecution lacked sufficient evidence to proceed with the case. However, the court has also flagged that it cannot discharge accused whose revision petitions are pending before the High Court.