Mumbai, Oct 13 A special court here has rejected the Maharashtra Maritime Board's (MMB) plea to acquire 1,741.69 acres of land in coastal Sindhudurg, attached by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the HDIL-PMC Bank money laundering case.
The MMB had approached the court seeking possession of the land, originally earmarked for a greenfield port at Vijaydurg.
The ED supported the board's application, stating that the land had been acquired using proceeds of crime by HDIL promoters Rakesh and Sarang Wadhawan through 39 benami transactions involving local farmers.
Judge S V Sahare of the special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act dismissed the MMB's plea, noting that Sarang Wadhawan had already filed an appeal against the land's attachment and it is pending before the Appellate Tribunal in New Delhi.
The attachment of the property, thus, had not yet reached finality, the judge said.
