The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted raids in at least seven locations in Maharashtra targeting Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab in connection with a money laundering case.
The Times of India reported raids were conducted in Mumbai, Pune and Ratnagiri. Parab is minister for transport in the Uddhav Thackeray government.
In Mumbai, ED officials arrived at Parab's family home in Bandra and official residence at Marine Drive. The Enforcement Directorate action pertains to the allegations of purchase of a parcel of land at Dapoli by Parab in 2017 for a consideration of Rs 1 crore, but it was registered in 2019. Some other charges are also being probed by the agency.
It is alleged that the land was subsequently sold to a Mumbai-based cable operator, Sadanand Kadam, in 2020 for a consideration of Rs 1.10 crore. In between, a resort was built on the same land from 2017 to 2020. An Income Tax Department investigation earlier had alleged that the construction of the resort started in 2017 and over Rs 6 crore was spent in cash on construction of the resort.
Parab had been questioned by the Enforcement Directorate last year in connection with a money laundering and bribery case against Anil Deshmukh, the former home minister of Maharashtra and an NCP leader. Disgraced police officer Sachin Vaze had claimed Parab had received crores of rupees as bribes through an aide for transfers of police officers in Mumbai.
Earlier this month, the Maharashtra Lokayukta had dismissed a complaint filed against Parab by a BJP MLA alleging corruption in the tendering process for procuring electronic ticket-issuing machines for state road transport corporation buses.
