Mumbai, Dec 13 (PTI) A special court here has rejected the discharge applications of former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse and his kin in an alleged money laundering case related to a land deal in Pune, holding that there was sufficient material to proceed with the trial.

The special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has directed Khadse, his wife and co-accused Mandakini Khadse and son-in-law Girish Chaudhari to remain present on December 18 for the framing of charges.

On December 3, the court had refused to discharge them in the primary case registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated its probe based on the FIR registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Pune.

In the order passed on the same day, a copy of which was made available on Saturday, special PMLA court judge Satyanarayan Navander said Eknath Khadse prima facie took "undue advantage" of his position as revenue minister in the then BJP-Shiv Sena government.

The former BJP leader is accused of facilitating the purchase of a 3-acre plot in Bhosari, Pune, by his wife and son-in-law. The Khadse family purchased the land for Rs 3.75 crore when its market price was Rs 31.01 crore, it was alleged.

The special court stated that the material on record prima facie reveals that Mandakini Khadse and Girish Chaudhari acquired the property by means which are not legally approved.

"....the dishonest intention of all the accused is eloquent from the contents of the agreement of sale and the actions of accused no 1 (Eknath Khadse) to take undue advantage of the post he was holding," the court held.

A case of criminal misconduct was made out on the face of it, it added.

Khadse had to step down from the state cabinet in 2016 after the allegations regarding the land deal surfaced. PTI AVI KRK

Eknath Khadse must face trial in alleged money laundering over a heavily discounted Pune land purchase. The special court refused to discharge Eknath Khadse, his wife and son in law in a PMLA prosecution, finding sufficient material to proceed to framing of charges based on an ED probe originating from an ACB FIR. The court held that material prima facie shows dishonest intention and that Khadse allegedly used his position to facilitate the purchase of a three acre Bhosari plot at Rs 3.75 crore against an alleged market value of Rs 31.01 crore, and that acquisition means appear not legally approved, amounting to criminal misconduct on the face of the record.