Eknath Khadse, his daughter-in-law slapped with Rs 137 crore fine for illegal soil excavation

Eknath Khadse, a member of the NCP, and his daughter-in-law Raksha Khadse, a member of the BJP in the Lok Sabha, have received a notice from the government authorities in the Jalgaon district of north Maharashtra ordering them to pay a fine of Rs 137 crore for allegedly excavating soil without permission from their land.

Tehsildar of Muktainagar taluka in Jalgaon issued the notice to them on October 6. The notice said that 1.18 lakh brass of murum (fragmented weathered rock) and black stone was illegally excavated by them as no additional permission was taken by them from the authorities for the same.

The land, where the excavation took place belongs to Eknath Khadse, his wife Mandakini Khadse, daughter Rohini Khadse and daughter-in-law Raksha Khadse, it said. The fine amount of Rs 137,14,81,883 should be paid within 15 days from the date of the issuance of the notice, it added.

Eknath Khadse, who was with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for around four decades, quit the party and joined the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in 2020. He is currently a member of the Maharashtra legislative council. His daughter-in-law Raksha Khadse represents the Raver Lok Sabha seat.