Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, along with his son Pankaj Bhujbal and nephew Sameer Bhujbal, has been acquitted by a special PMLA court in Mumbai in the Maharashtra Sadan scam, a money laundering case. This verdict marks the end of a legal battle that began almost ten years ago. Bhujbal stated that he would share his reaction after receiving the court order.
The court’s decision stems from a 2021 ruling where Bhujbal was discharged by an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court in the primary corruption case. Bhujbal’s legal team argued that since the initial corruption case led to a discharge that was unchallenged by the state, the money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) could not proceed legally. Special Judge R.N. Rokade accepted this argument, citing legal principles set by the Supreme Court.
The case traces back to 2005-06 when Bhujbal, serving as the Public Works Department (PWD) Minister in the then Congress-NCP government, allegedly granted a contract for constructing the Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi without competitive tenders. Investigators alleged kickbacks exceeding Rs 100 crore were received by the Bhujbal family in exchange for favoring the firm. The ACB claimed that the contractors made an 80% profit, surpassing the permissible 20%.
