Eknath Khadse Cleared of Links With Dawood, But Probe Continues

The former state minister was given a clean chit over alleged links to Dawood Ibrahim, but he is still being probed.

Senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse. (Photo: PTI)

• Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has not found any exchange of calls or a “terrorist link” between former state minister Eknath Khadse and fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim during its preliminary inquiry. However it did stumble upon certain “serious things” that need to be probed further, the Bombay High Court was told on Monday.
  
• ATS advocate Niteen Pradhan mentioned that while no terrorist angle has surfaced in the inquiry, certain other revelations have come to the fore.
• Seizing on the the ATS’ statement to the court, Khadse, a BJP veteran from North Maharashtra who resigned early last month in the wake of a string of allegations, dubbed it as a “clean chit” to him and “vindication of his innocence”.

(With PTI inputs.)