ED’s action against the CM’s brother-in-law in connection with a money laundering investigation intensifies political battle in the state
Shridhar Patankar is the brother-in-law of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Pic/Ashish Raje
The ED on Tuesday attached assets worth R6.45 crore of a company owned by Shridhar Patankar, brother-in-law of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, in connection with a money laundering investigation. The Enforcement Directorate said in a statement that it has issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach 11 residential flats in Neelambari project, located in Thane, of Shree Saibaba Grihanirmiti Private Limited.
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Shridhar Madhav Patankar, the brother of Thackeray’s wife Rashmi, “owns and controls” Shree Saibaba Grihanirmiti Private Limited, it said. The agency alleged funds that were siphoned off in a money laundering case being investigated against the Pushpak group and its company Pushpak Bullion were “parked” in the real estate projects of Shree Saibaba Grihanirmiti Pvt. Ltd.
Sharad Pawar
The Pushpak group was booked by the ED under the PMLA in March 2017 in a criminal case linked to demonetisation of two high value currencies — Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 — by the Union government the year before.
‘Political vendetta’
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders joined forces to decry the Enforcement Directorate’s action against Patankar. They called it political vendetta to destabilise the state government and vowed to fight the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) together.
The MVA’s architect and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President, Sharad Pawar, said it was clear that the Central agencies were being misused for political purposes. “The misuse is unfortunate. Some years ago nobody knew the ED, but now it has reached everywhere,” he said.
The Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said the action was taken without giving Patankar and others, an opportunity to explain their side. One cannot assume that one owns the entire country after winning four states, he said, adding that he had given ED corruption cases related to the BJP leaders.
“Shridhar Patankar is not only related to Uddhav and Rashmi Thackeray, but is part of our families. It is an act of creating political pressure and sensation. They want to show through the Central agencies that we can buckle under pressure, but we won’t at any cost. It is happening in the states where the BJP is not in power. It is the beginning of dictatorship. We all are ready to go to jail,” he said.
‘BJP will face consequences’
According to Raut, the Modi government has enforced at least 2,500 ED actions in the past seven years while the previous UPA government had only 20-22. The court has decided most actions were wrong, he added, stating further that the people will respond to the BJP’s agenda when they go to vote. “The courts are also under pressure and we don’t expect much from them. But the people’s court will decide. The BJP will face the consequences,” he added.
State Congress president Nana Patole said the MVA was not scared. “It will not affect us. It’s the BJP’s mentality to use the Central agencies. They are misusing the majority, but the people know it,” he said.
BJP’s Kirit Somaiya said many more Sena leaders will be exposed in the next couple of weeks. He said the money trail, when established, will lead to sleepless nights for the CM. His party colleague Ashish Shelar said the action was in accordance with Modi’s ‘na khaunga na khane dunga’ mission and the probe will unravel the truth. The state BJP’s top leadership hadn’t reacted till going to press.
Inputs from agencies
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