IPS officer's son co-accused in MIDC land: Maha minister

Even as dust on the controversial land deal involving former Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse is yet to settle down, a Maharashtra minister today alleged that a senior IPS officer's son was among four persons who purchased the state Industries Development Corporation (MIDC)-owned land in Pune district in a "fraudulent manner".
The IPS officer in question Dhananjay Kamalakar, currently posted as Joint Commissioner of Police, Economic Offences Wing (EOW) here, has been transfered to Coastal Security. He will be replaced by Praveen Salunkhe.
Senior Shiv Sena leader and state Industries Minister Subhash Desai told reporters at Mantralaya that MIDC has been "cheated" as its land at Ranjangaon village was "grabbed fraudulently".

He claimed the land was purchased by Bhujangrao Ogle, Rohit Kamalakar, Rangnath Walke and Prashant Ogle in a "fraudulent manner".
Rohit is the son of Dhananjay Kamalakar.
Meanwhile, repeated calls made to Dhananjay Kamalakar remained unanswerable. The text messages sent to him also yielded no response.

Desai told reporters that he has asked officials of his department to conduct a probe into the fraudulent purchase, and assured strict action against the guilty.
The minister said the 7.64-hectare land in question has been owned by MIDC after its original owners Shivajirao Navale and Arun Navale sold the land on October 20, 1992.

Desai further said the Navales were paid the compensation of Rs 1.81 lakh. "Since 1992, the said land is in possession of the MIDC," he said.
Its market value is said to be in several crores.
"Later, some people asked the MIDC for a No Objection Certificate allowing the purchase of the land. However, the MIDC did not allow it, filed an FIR and lodged a case with a court in Pune," he said.
(Reopens BES 43)
Meanwhile, the Pune district police today registered a
case against officials of the Revenue Department and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation for "fabricating" the land records and changing the land title in MIDC's name.

Ranjangaon MIDC police said they registered a case of fabrication of documents after the Shirur-based judicial magistrate ordered them to register a case and conduct an inquiry.
A police officer said Ogle, Rohit Kamalakar and two others had moved the court against these officials alleging that they fabricated the land records and changed the land title despite clear instructions from the civil court not to take any action.
According to Ogle, before purchasing the land from the original owner they had written to MIDC in 2015 for a no-objection certificate.
MIDC told them that the land had not been acquired by the corporation, so there was no question of giving NOC.

Ogle and others then executed the sale deed. But MIDC then approached the civil court, and also deleted the purchasers' names from the records and entered the MIDC's name, according to Ogle's complaint.
A senior MIDC official, on the other hand, told