The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday provisionally attached assets worth ₹10.20 crore of Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab, who is a part of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray side of the party.
The investigation was initiated on the basis of a complaint filed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change against Mr. Parab, M/s Sai Resort, M/s Sea Conch Resort and others, before a Judicial Magistrate, Dapoli, for the violation of the Environment (Protection) Act, and a First Information Report (FIR) was also registered by the Dapoli Police Station for deceiving and causing loss to the Government of Maharashtra. The attached assets are in the form of land (measuring approximately 42 guntas) at Dapoli, Ratnagiri, valued at ₹2.73 crore, and the resort, namely, Sai Resort NX, constructed over the said land, valued at ₹7.46 crore.
The ED said in a press release: “Mr Parab in connivance with businessman Sadanand Kadam got illegal permission from local sub divisional office for conversion of use of land from agricultural to non-agricultural purpose and constructed resort in violation of coastal regulation zone (CRZ) norms. Mr Parab acquired illegal permission from Revenue Department for construction of twin bungalow over a piece of land falling under CRZ-III i.e. no development zone. After acquiring permission, Mr Parab illegally constructed “Sai Resort NX” and with the deliberate intention to hide his identity as owner obtained the permission in the name of earlier owner namely Vibhas Sathe from Revenue Department, government. of Maharashtra by forging his signature on the application made in this regard. Mr Parab also deliberately hid the fact that the said land falls within CRZ-III before gram panchayat and pressurized the gram panchayat to transfer the said land along with building in his name although there was no mention of any construction in the original sale deed.”
The ED also said: “Mr Parab has also cheated the gram panchayat by making an application for taxation purposes before the completion of entire construction of the resort. The payment of construction of the resort was deliberately made in cash and construction commenced before the registration of land in the name of Mr Parab in order to hide the identity of real owner of the building so that in future the expenses made for the building construction and any violation comes to fore, the onus could be shifted to Mr Sathe, the previous land owner.”
