Mumbai: A special court here on Thursday discharged Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal in the 2016 case of alleged kickbacks received in the award of a contract for a central library of Mumbai University.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) alleged that Bhujbal, who had served as PWD minister, along with other accused, caused huge losses to the state government by leasing out a plot to a private developer at a very low rate, for which the accused received huge kickbacks.

The Special MPs/MLAs court discharged Bhujbal and other accused on Thursday. The reasoned order was not available yet.

The case involves a prime plot in the Kalina area belonging to Mumbai University, which granted the four-acre area to the state to construct a library.

The Public Works Department (PWD) allegedly issued tenders to construct the library in 2009 on one portion of the plot, and allegedly leased out the remaining land to a well-known developer for 99 years, at Re 1 per square metre, which the ACB said is illegal.

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.