Thu Sep 18 05:37:34 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and a rewritten news article based on the provided text:

**Summary:**

The Bombay High Court has quashed a money-laundering case against developers Krishna and Prasanna Chamankar in connection with the alleged Maharashtra Sadan scam. The case, filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), was linked to Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal and stemmed from allegations that the Chamankars fraudulently secured construction contracts while Bhujbal was Public Works Department (PWD) Minister. The court’s decision hinged on the fact that a special Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court had previously discharged the Chamankars from the underlying (predicate) offense in 2021, a decision that was not appealed. The High Court cited a Supreme Court ruling stating that money-laundering charges cannot stand when the predicate offense is dismissed.

**News Article:**

**Bombay High Court Quashes Money Laundering Case Against Developers in Maharashtra Sadan Scam**

**Mumbai, September 18, 2025** – In a significant legal victory, the Bombay High Court has today quashed a money-laundering case against developers Krishna and Prasanna Chamankar, the prime accused in the controversial Maharashtra Sadan scam. The case, brought by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), was linked to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) veteran and former Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal.

A Division Bench of Justices A.S. Gadkari and Rajesh S. Patil ruled in favor of a writ petition filed by the Chamankar brothers and their firm, K.S. Chamankar Enterprises, effectively overturning the ED’s charge sheet from 2016. The ED’s case was based on allegations that the Chamankars had fraudulently secured contracts for the construction of the Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi, the High Mount Rest House in Mumbai, and buildings for the Regional Transport Office (RTO) during Bhujbal’s tenure as Public Works Department (PWD) Minister.

The High Court’s decision rested on the fact that a special Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court had previously discharged the Chamankars from the predicate offense in 2021. The ACB court found insufficient evidence to establish wrongdoing, stating that the firm had executed the projects “as per the contract.” Crucially, the prosecution did not appeal this discharge order.

Senior counsel for the Chamankars, Shreeyash Lalit, argued that the money-laundering charges could not stand following the discharge from the predicate offense, citing a Supreme Court ruling (Vijay Madanlal Choudhary vs. Union of India) that money-laundering charges are invalid if the base offense is quashed.

The ED, represented by advocate Manisha Jagtap, argued that the PMLA prosecution could continue despite the quashing of the predicate offense. However, the High Court rejected this argument, stating that the Chamankars were entitled to the benefit of the discharge in the main case.

“In view thereof, according to us, the conclusion enumerated by the Hon’ble Supreme Court… squarely applies to the Petitioners and therefore the ECIR and the charge sheet filed thereof, registered by Respondent No.2 qua the Petitioners, deserves to be quashed and set aside,” the court order stated.

The quashing of the money-laundering case brings significant relief to the Chamankar brothers and marks a setback for the ED’s investigation into the alleged Maharashtra Sadan scam. The case had been a politically charged issue, with accusations of corruption and misuse of power surrounding the construction projects. The implications of this ruling for other individuals implicated in the alleged scam remain to be seen.

Read More