Maharashtra’s former PWD Minister and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday suffered a major jolt, as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested his nephew Samir Bhujbal in connection with two money laundering cases registered against the senior Bhujbal, his family members and others.
After subjecting him to day-long intense questioning at its Mumbai office, the ED officials arrested Samir late in the night under Section 19 of PMlA Act. The investigating agency will produce him before a city court on Tuesday and seek his custody.
Samir’s arrest came hours after the ED officials carried searches on nine premises which included properties and offices belonging to Bhujbal, son Pankaj, nephew and former MP Samir and few others.
The twin developments —that of Sameer’s arrest and raids on the premises belonging to Bhujbals — came on a day when Chhagan Bhujbal left for Washington DC at the “invitation” of the US Congress for a three-day event to be attended by senior senators, diplomats, high ranking officials, members of Judiciary & Administration and select representatives invited from 140 countries all over the world.
The ED’s searches came within days after the Bombay High Court on January 28 sought progress reports from the Maharashtra Anti—Corruption Bureau and the ED in four weeks on their probe against Bhujbal and his family members.
Monday’s was the second major action by the ED, after it — in the third week of December last year — attached two properties worth `110 crore linked to him in connection with a money laundering case registered against him.
The two attached properties are located at Bandra and neighbouring western suburbs of Mumbai. While the book value of the attached property is `26 crore, its market value is `110 crore. They are in the name of Messrs Pravesh Constructions, a firm managed by Bhujbals.
The Division Bench of the Bombay High Court had on December 18, 2014 set up an SIT comprising ACB and ED to probe the 11 specific allegations against Bhujbal.