Mumbai, Mar 30 (PTI) Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLC Eknath Khadse and his daughter were booked for allegedly cheating an elderly woman by assuring a sugar factory on her land and taking its possession with the help of forged papers in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district, police said on Monday.

The land in questioned was classified as ‘Mahar Watan’ and its illegal possession was taken in the name of former state minister Khadse’s daughter Sharda from the 82-year-old woman, they said.

When contacted by PTI for his comments, Khadse claimed he has nothing to do with the land deal and termed the case as an act of political vendetta.

Notably, ‘Watan’ lands are ‘inam’ (gift from a ruler to a subject). It refers to land traditionally granted to Mahar community members (now in Scheduled Caste category) as compensation for performing hereditary village duties by erstwhile rulers.

The alleged fraud came to light after the victim, Chamelibai Tukaram Tayade, filed a complaint on March 9 against Khadse, his daughter Sharda and other government officials with the Jalgaon district Superintendent of Police (SP), an official said.

The official said the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Jalgaon police conducted a preliminary inquiry into the complaint regarding the transaction that took place between 2002 and 2025.

Following the inquiry, police registered a case against Khadse and his daughter under BNS sections related to fraud, cheating, forgery and also the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act (victim is a Dalit), according to the official.

According to the complainant, Khadse gave false assurances to the victim and her family members in 2002 regarding setting up a sugar factory on ‘Mahar Watan’ land belonging to her at Manpur Shivar in Jalgaon district in north Maharashtra.

The veteran politician, a former BJP minister, had assured good compensation and employment opportunities for the complainant’s family members, said police, quoting the complaint.

After deciding to purchase the land, the legislator gave Rs 51,000 to the victim with an assurance that each member of her family will get Rs 1 lakh from the management of the proposed sugar factory, they said.

Years later in 2025, it came to light that no sugar factory was set up on the land. Khadse established a company, Tapi-Purna Sugar Allied Industries Ltd, for executing the project and took possession of the land by making alterations in documents. The Opposition MLC allegedly manipulated sale agreements and transferred the land in his daughter’s name in an unauthorised manner, according to the FIR.

The complainant alleged that Khadse and others conspired against her. They took possession of the land between 2002 and 2025 by taking advantage of the woman and her family members’ illiteracy and without their knowledge, it said.

The case was registered at the Bodwad Police Station and later transferred for probe to the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) at Muktai Nagar in Jalgaon, the official said.

As per law, any case of wrongful occupation of land belonging to SC/ST members must be conducted by an officer not below the rank of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) or a SDPO.

However, Khadse denied any wrongdoing and insisted his name has been dragged in this controversy out of political vendetta.

“The land deal took place decades back, but suddenly some people have woken up and dragged my name into this deal,” said the NCP (SP) leader.

Khadse, a senior minister in the earlier BJP-led government (2014-19), resigned from the cabinet in 2016 after he was accused of misusing his position to facilitate the purchase of state-owned land in Pune district’s Bhosari industrial area by his wife and son-in-law. PTI DC ND RSY