In a major development that prompted the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to accuse the Modi Government yet again of “misusing” its investigating agencies against its political rivals, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday attached provisionally Rs 6.45 crore-worth of immovable properties belonging to a company owned by the brother-in-law of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray at Thane in an alleged money laundering case.
The attached properties, comprising 11 residential flats, belonged to M/s Shree Saibaba Grihanirmiti Private Limited, a company “owned and controlled” by Shridhar Madhav Patankar, the brother of Thackeray’s wife Rashmi.
The ED made a provisional attachment of the immovable properties, including 11 residential flats in Neelambari housing project at Thane belonging to Shree Saibaba Grihanirmiti Pvt. Ltd, in connection with a money laundering case registered against M/s Pushpak Bullion, one of the Group companies of Pushpak Group on March 6, 2017 under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
Among other things, the ED said in a statement that it had already provisionally attached immovable and movable properties of Pushpak Bullion to the tune of Rs 21.46 Crore belonging to one Mahesh Patel, Chandrakant Patel, their family members and companies controlled by them.
The attachment sparked instant protests from the MVA leaders, including NCP President Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena’s chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut who dubbed the ED’s move as an act of “political vendetta” indulged in by the Modi government.
Pawar, who was among the other first few MVA leaders to hit out at the Modi government for “misusing” of its investigation machineries against its political rivals, said: “The major issue facing the country is the misuse of its investigation machineries by the ruling party at the Centre. Going by the amounts involved in the properties attached, it is clear that the Centre has undertaken a mission to harass people for political or other reasons. Five to ten years ago, the people did not know that there existed an organisation called ED. Now, even the people in villages know the name of ED. Unfortunately, this only goes to prove that the Centre is misusing its investigating machineries”.
Raut, who was more vicious in his criticism of the “dictatorial” Modi government at the Centre, said: “The ED has attached the properties under political pressure arising out of vindictive politics practised by the BJP-led government against its political rivals. Without hearing the other side, the ED has undertaken the exercise to create sensation. In states where it is not in power, the ruling BJP wants to prove that through its investigation machinery, it can make its political rival kneel and surrender to it. The ED has issued similar notices to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee and his wife. But, we will not bend or kneel before the Centre”.
Once the BJP loses elections in states, it begins to misuse its investigation agencies against leaders of the Opposition goverments in the states. The BJP government, which runs diuctorial government at the Centre, puts pressure on the investigation agencies to have its way. As per the information provided in Parliament recently, the ED has initiated maximum number of raids and other forms of action in non-BJP states. During the UPA's 11-year-long regime, mere 22 to 23 actions were taken by the ED. However, after it came to power in 2014, the Modi government has initiated more than 2,500 scuh actions which go to prove how the centre is misusing investigating agencies," Raut said.
Reacting to the ED’s action against his maternal uncle Shridhar Patankar, Maharashtra minister and Uddhav Thackeray’s son Aaditya Thackeray said: “I was in the State Legislature all through the day. I don’t know anything about ED’s attachment of properties ( belonging to my uncle). I will talk about the issue once I gather information about the whole thing. The question that arises from this kind of actions: is ED deliberately targeting the MVA leaders and those close to them”.
Meanwhile, giving the details of the attachment of immovable properties made by it, the ED said that it had registered a money laundering case against Pushpak Bullion and group companies on 06.03.2017, under the provisions of PMLA, 2002 and had already provisionally attached immovable and movable properties of Pushpak Bullion to the tune of Rs. 21.46 Crore belonging to one Mahesh Patel, Chandrakant Patel, their family members and companies controlled by them.
According to the ED, its subsequent investigation had revealed that Mahesh Patel had siphoned off and layered funds of Pushpak group company M/s Pushpak Realty Developer in connivance with Mr. Nandkishore Chaturvedi (Accommodation Entry provider). “Pushpak Realty Developer in the garb of sale, transferred funds to the tune of Rs. 20.02 crore to the entities controlled by Mr. Nandkishore Chaturvedi after layering it through various connected/ unconnected entities,” the ED said in a statement.
Tuesday’s is the third major politically-sensitive action taken by the ED after the sensational arrests of former State Home Anil Deshmukh on November 2, 2021 and Maharashtra Minister for Minority Affairs and NCP leader Nawab Malik who was taken into custody on February 23, 2022. The ruling MVA – comprising Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress – have accused the Modi government of targeting its leaders and their relatives.
BJP’s former MP Kirit Somaiya, who has been accused by the MVA leaders of working in tandem with the ED in “targeting and fixing” the ruling MVA leaders, said that Thackeray’s brother-in-law Shridhar Patankar, allegedly involved in money laundering scam through shell companies, would not be spared.