The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday grilled senior Maharashtra’s former Transport Minister and Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab for eight-long hours in connection with the allegations of corruption made against him by incarcerated police officer Sachin Vaze .
The development came a day after the ED raided the residence of Shiv Sena’s former MP Anandrao Adsul and his son Abhijit Adsul in connection with a complaint of alleged scam worth `980 crore in the City Cooperative Bank Ltd, here.
Talking to media persons outside the ED’s office after the questioning by the investigating agency, Parab said that he had replied to all the queries posed to him by the ED
sleuths.
“I am answerable to an authority like the ED and I am not bound to reply to any individuals (the media). If called again, I shall definitely go and cooperate with them,” Parab said.
On whether the ED was satisfied with his answers, Parab said he was not in a position to comment on this.
The ED investigations relate to an allegation that Vaze had made in April this year that the minister had asked him to collect Rs 50 crore to close a preliminary inquiry against Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT).
It may be recalled that in a four-page hand written letter to the Special Judge of the NIA court on April 7, 2021 Vaze – who is currently in the central investigating agency’s custody in the twin SUV planting and alleged Manshukh Hiran murder cases – had claimed that Parab had called him July-August, 2020 to his official bungalow and look into a complaint concerning the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT), which was under preliminary enquiry and asked him to bring the SBUT trustees to him for negotiations about the enquiry.
“He (Parab) also insisted to initiate primary talks to get Rs.50 crore from the SBUT in order to close the said enquiry. I had expressed my inability to do any such things as I do not know anyone from the SBUT and also I did not have any control over the enquiry,” Vaze had contended in his letter to the NIA court.