Mumbai, Feb 6 (PTI) A special court here on Friday issued non-bailable warrant against former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse and his wife for failing to appear before it in a money laundering case related to a land deal in Pune.

The matter was listed for framing of changes and the process required the presence of the accused in court.

Special judge for MPs/MLAs cases Mahesh Jadhav noted that the application (for exemption from appearance) is vague. The court emphasised that the plea did not mention as to which personal difficulty (as cited by their lawyer) arose to the accused.

The reason is not supported by any documentary evidence, the court noted.

"Accused is having every knowledge that today's case is fixed for framing of charge. As per the ratio laid down by the Supreme Court, MP/MLA cases should frame charges expeditiously. But the accused remain absent without any reason," the special judge said.

The court then rejected their exemption application and issued a non-bailable warrant against them. The matter has been adjourned to February 12.

A similar warrant against them has also been issued in the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) matter.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated the money laundering probe based on an FIR filed by the Pune unit of the ACB.

The central agency alleged that in 2016, Khadse, then Maharashtra revenue minister, misused his official position to facilitate the purchase of a 3-acre plot in Bhosari in Pune by his wife Mandakini Khadse and son-in-law Girish Chaudhari.

The court in December last year rejected their discharge plea on the ground 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 facts of the present case are clear and 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.

It stressed that, prima facie, a case of criminal misconduct is made out and there is sufficient material to proceed with the trial, the court said.

Khadse, a senior minister in the BJP-led government that came to power in Maharashtra in 2014, had to step down in 2016 after he was accused of misusing his position to facilitate the purchase of government land in Bhosari industrial area by his wife and son-in-law.

The Khadse family purchased the land for Rs 3.75 crore when its actual price was Rs 31.01 crore, it was alleged. PTI AVI BNM