ED attaches assets of firm owned by brother-in-law of Maharashtra CM

Shridhar Madhav Patankar, the brother of Thackeray's wife Rashmi, 'owns and controls' Shree Saibaba Grihanirmiti Private Limited

In a major development that, ED has attached the properties linked to business entities of Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray's brother-in-law Shridhar Patankar, rattling the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

The action has been carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Patankar is brother of Rashmi Thackeray, the wife of chief minister Thackeray, who heads the Maha Vikas Aghadi dispensation.

The Thackeray-family has refused to comment on the development, however, the MVA slammed the Centre and the BJP for targeting political opponents through central agencies like NIA, CBI, ED and IT.

“I will speak only after I have detailed information,” Thackeray’s son and state tourism, environment and protocol minister Aaditya Thackeray said.

“The ED has provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 6.45 crore in the case of M/s Pushpak Bullion, one of the group companies of Pushpak Group,” the ED said in a press communique confirming the development.

The attachment order includes 11 residential flats in Neelambari project in Thane belonging to Shree Saibaba Grihanirmiti Pvt Ltd, owned and controlled by Patankar,

It may be recalled, the ED had filed money laundering case against Pushpak Bullion and group companies on March 6, 2017, under the provisions of PMLA and has already provisionally attached immovable and movable properties of Pushpak Bullion to the tune of Rs 21.46 crore belonging to Mahesh Patel, Chandrakant Patel, their family members and companies controlled by them.

Subsequent investigation revealed that Mahesh Patel had siphoned off and layered funds of Pushpak Group concern Pushpak Realty in connivance with Nandkishore Chaturvedi.

Pushpak Realty Developer in the garb of sale, transferred funds to the tune of Rs 20.02 crore to the entities controlled by Chaturvedi after layering it through various connected/ unconnected entities. Chaturvedi who operates a number of shell companies further transferred the money through his shell company Humsafar Dealer Private Limited in the garb of extending unsecured loans in excess of Rs 30 crore to Shree Saibaba Grihanirmiri Pvt. Ltd. Thus, the money siphoned off by Mahesh Patel in connivance with Chaturvedi was parked in the real estate projects by Shree Saibaba Grihanirmiti Pvt. Ltd. Further investigation is under progress.

Meanwhile, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar said that the action was a political move. "This is all political. Few years ago no one knew what the ED was," he said.

“The ED has been taking tremendous interest and actions in states where BJP is not in power,” Shiv Sena chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut said, alleging how central agencies are being misused.

“Since the time MVA has been formed, we have been seeing such incidents…in democracy such misuse of central agencies is dangerous…there are attempts to destabilise the government…The Thackeray-government is a majority government…there would not be any impact on MVA government…the Shiv Sena is not worried about such things,” said senior Shiv Sena leader and urban development minister Eknath Shinde.

In his reaction, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya tweeted: "Shridhar Patankar, Uddhav Thackeray's sala (brother in law) Money Laundering Scam... Use of Shell Companies, ED attached his Properties. Ghotalebajo ko Chhodenge Nahi."

Check out the latest videos from DH: