Jun 22 (Mumbai Mirror): State Lokayukta Justice (Retd) M L Tahaliyani has given a clean chit to former revenue minister Eknath Khadse in a case involving his "personal assistant" Gajanan Patil and closed a complaint in the matter.

The relief came a week before Khadse resigned after facing allegations, including a dubious deal in connection with the an MIDC plot in Pune.

Acting on the complaint of a city-based businessman, the Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested Patil outside Mantralaya last month on the charge of demanding a Rs 30-crore bribe.

The complainant, Ramesh Jadhav, had accused Patil of asking the money to help him in the allotment of a land parcel.

After hearing 12 recordings of conversations between Jadhav and Patil, Tahaliyani concluded that Khadse or any of his office staffers played no role in the bribery demand. "The complaint needs to be closed and is accordingly closed." The ACB too has given a clean chit to Khadase in the matter.

On June 18, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had expressed confidence that Khadse would emerge clean from the probe into allegations against him.

"I am confident that Natha bhau [Khadse] will emerge clean from this agnipariksha [test by fire], Fadnavis had said.