Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab. | Photo credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI
A court in Khed, Maharashtra has acquitted Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Legislative Council member Anil Parab and four others in a corruption case related to the Dapoli resort. The court found contradictions in the prosecution’s case and the absence of evidence of bribery.
The judgment delivered by Justice Prasanna S Chandgude on May 5 dismissed the allegations of cheating, forgery and misconduct. The case arose out of a 2021 complaint by Kirito Somaiya, who was a Member of Parliament, against a resort built in the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ-III) at Murud in Dapoli.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has indicted Mr. Parab, sarpanch Suresh Tupe, gramsevak Anant Koli, circle officer Sudhir Pardule and sub-divisional officer Jayram Deshpande. The indictment alleged that the group conspired to assess property tax on the unfinished building and defrauded the state by avoiding stamp duty when selling the property. The prosecution later added that the accused paid less stamp duty by not mentioning the existing structure in the two sale deeds.
The court pointed out the contradictions in the state’s claims. “On the one hand, the prosecution alleged that taxes were assessed without construction or unfinished construction, and at the same time it is alleged that the sale deeds were executed without proof of construction,” the court said.
On the allegation of curtailment of stamp duty, the court recognized the concept of dual ownership under the Indian Easements Act. It noted that the land may belong to one person and the superstructure to another. Witness testimony established that the hotel was constructed and financed by Sadanand Kadam between 2017 and 2019. “The building was neither owned nor constructed by Parab…there was no question of paying less stamp duty than was required,” the court concluded.
The court also dismissed bribery charges against civil servants. The prosecution alleged that some of the accused officials accepted gratification for granting non-agricultural (NA) permits in CRZ-III zone. However, the court found that they handled the request by seeking opinions from the planning authorities. “No witness was examined by the prosecution to prove that satisfaction was given to the accused. There is no evidence that the accused were in possession of funds or assets disproportionate to their own sources of income,” the court said.
The court acquitted all five accused. Public Prosecutor MM Jadkar appeared for the State. Advocate SS Butala appeared for Mr. Parab.
Published – 08 May 2026 22:57 IST
