Mumbai: NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal has denied that he switched over the ruling alliance to escape from the case filed by Enforcement Directorate. Bhujbal is not an isolated leader who is under the ED lens. There are six top NCP leaders who are facing similar charges.
Ajit Pawar
The deputy chief minister stands accused for his involvement in a scam in Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB). It is alleged that there were irregularities in loan disbursements to cooperative sugar factories and that loans were sanctioned despite having financial irregularities. In many cases, loans were sanctioned without any collateral guarantees. Probe in all these cases have been slowed down after joining hands with the BJP.
Hasan Mushrif
He is accused of a money laundering case related to Sar Senapati Santaji Ghorpade Sugar Factory. It’s a sugar factory set up in 2011 in the Kolhapur district. The factory is said to be operated and controlled by family members and relatives of Hasan Mushrif. His sons are directors in these factories. The ED alleged that Mushrif had appealed to farmers to contribute Rs 10,000 to raise capital. The ED further claimed that the capital was collected from 40,000 farmers, but they were not given share certificates as shareholders. Instead, they were given sugar cards and other benefits, including sugar at a nominal rate.
Praful Patel
Patel is an accused in a money laundering case involving Iqbal Mirchi, an aide of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim. The ED launched a probe against Patel after his signatures were found on the documents which were also signed by the wife of Mirchi. Patel, however, denied the allegations of any business links with Mirchi or his wife. The agency alleged that Patel’s Millennium Developers Pvt Ltd constructed Ceejay House in 2006-07 and its third and fourth floors were transferred to Mirchi’s wife Hazra Iqbal in 2007 “towards beneficial interest of Mirchi in the land” on which Ceejay House was built.
Sunil Tatkare
He was booked for corruption in the alleged multi-crore irrigation scam. His name appeared in the chargesheet in 2017, mentioning that the probe is incomplete. While the ACB was initially probing the case, the ED was subsequently roped. In 2015, both the ACB and ED were pulled up by the court for their slow progress in investigating the corruption charges against Tatkare.
Nawab Malik
Arrested by the ED officials on charges of money laundering in the case registered against underworld don and fugitive Dawood Ibrahim and his aides. The ED officials reached Malik’s residence and conducted a search operation at his residence. He is out on bail.
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