Court denies bail to sub-divisional officer in Dapoli resort case

A special court here on Thursday denied bail to a sub-divisional officer (SDO) in a case related to the construction of a resort at Dapoli in coastal Ratnagiri district, ruling that he knowingly assisted the process of money-laundering.

SDO Jayram Deshpande was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in March this year in connection with construction of Sai Resort at Dapoli. Sadanand Kadam, an associate of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab, is also an accused in the case.

Special court judge M G Deshpande, hearing cases pertaining to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), rejected the SDO's plea, saying there was abundant material to show that the applicant accorded sanction for conversion of agricultural (land) to non-agricultural use and construction (of the resort) therein with full knowledge that such sanction cannot be granted legally.

The agency has alleged that SDO Deshpande misused his position to illegally grant permission for the conversion of the status of the plot of Sai Resort from agricultural to non-agricultural to facilitate the construction of twin bungalows. He gave the nod despite knowing well that the land falls within the Coastal Regulation Zone-III (CRZ-III) where construction is prohibited, the agency said.

Anil Parab and his aide Sadanand Kadam connived with SDO Deshpande to build Sai Resort NX and caused detrimental damage to the environment, the ED said, adding that the alleged illegal structure doesn’t have any outlets for the safe discharge of effluents.