Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted searches at the office and residence of Congress leader Baba Siddique in connection with an alleged money laundering case registered against him by the agency earlier this year.
Officers who conducted the raid said it began early on Wednesday, and ED teams also raided the residence and office of Rafiq Qureshi, a Bandra resident said to be close to Mr Siddique, in connection with the same case. “The searches were conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act at five locations in Mumbai,” an ED officer said.
The raids are part of the ED investigation into the case, which was registered against the Congress leader at Bandra police station in 2014. Sources said in 2012, a project comprising seven buildings was implemented at Bandra Reclamation under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme to rehabilitate residents of the Jamaat-e-Jamooria slums in Bandra. The construction was carried out by Pyramid Developers, which was allegedly given the contract by Mr. Siddique, officers said.
Later the same year, a Jamaat-e-Jamooria resident eligible for a flat in the project approached the Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Bandra alleging there were multiple instances of more than one flat being allotted to one family, and the official paperwork had been manipulated to obtain extra Floor Space Index (FSI) that would enable the construction of more floors. The court directed the police to investigate the matter.
After the police submitted their report, the court directed the police to file and FIR against Mr. Siddique, Mr. Qureshi and Najmuddin Mithiborewala. The ED joined the investigation after the police investigation indicated that a large amount of black money had changed hands between various players involved in the project during construction.
Earlier this year, the ED registered a case under the PMLA against Mr. Siddique and others named in the FIR.
