Purchase of govt land: FIR against NCP leader Dhananjay Munde

A case was registered in Beed district of Maharashtra Friday against Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde in connection with an alleged illegal purchase of government land.

The Bombay High Court had directed police to register a First Information Report (FIR) against Munde and others in the matter.

Munde, a senior NCP leader, meanwhile has moved the Supreme Court against the high court's order, his lawyer said.

The case was registered Friday at Bardapur police station under IPC sections 420 (cheating) and 471 (forgery) against Munde and 13 others, based on a complaint filed by Rajabhau Phad.

According to the complainant, government land at Pus in Ambajogai tehsil of Beed had been granted to Belkhandi Math (a religious organization) when it was headed by Mahant Ranit Wyanka Giri.

After Giri's death, his heirs transferred the land in their names without government's permission, and it was later purchased by Munde in 2012.

Phad claimed that the land could not have been transferred without government's permission. He moved the high court after the police did not register a case initially.

Munde had said after the HC ruling that the land had been purchased "as per the rules", and accused Phad of pursuing "political vendetta" against him.

Phad is the son-in-law of businessman Ratnakar Gutte, whom Munde had accused of securing loans in the name of farmers.