Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 6.45 crore of a relative of Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray in a money laundering case. An official gave this information.
The ED said in a statement that it has issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for the attachment of 11 residential flats in the Nilambari project of Shree Saibaba Home Nimrudhi Pvt Ltd located in Thane near Mumbai.
It states that Shridhar Madhav Patankar, brother of Thackeray’s wife Rashmi Thackeray, owns and controls Shree Saibaba Home Niruddhi Pvt Ltd. The action pertains to a money laundering case registered under PMLA against Pushpak Bullion and other group companies and so far the ED has seized assets worth Rs 21.46 crore owned by Mahesh Patel, Chandrakant Patel, their family members, and companies controlled by them. has been attached.
Reacting to the ED’s action, BJP worker and former MP Kirit Somaiya said that Thackeray’s brother-in-law (Rashmi Thackeray’s brother) is involved in a ‘money laundering scam’ with ‘use of shell companies and due to ‘scams’. They will not be spared.
BJP accused of misusing central agencies
The Shiv Sena-led coalition government in the state has been accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misusing central agencies against opposition leaders. The Shiv Sena and the BJP severed decades-old ties over power-sharing issues in 2019, following which the Shiv Sena, along with the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress, formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state.
The ED had earlier arrested two state cabinet ministers and NCP leaders – Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh – in money laundering cases. Both are currently behind bars.
