Sena goes offensive, approaches Mumbai police against ED

Move follows IT raids on close aides of Aaditya Thackeray and another Maharashtra Minister

March 09, 2022 08:18 am | Updated 08:19 am IST

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai. File photo

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai. File photo

On a day when Income Tax (IT) officials raided a close aide of Maharashtra’s Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray and close contacts of Transport Minister Anil Parab, the Shiv Sena launched an offensive against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) by filing a complaint alleging extortion against the agency’s officials and one Jitendra Navlani.

“Jitendra Navlani’s seven companies received crores of rupees from different companies, days after they were raided by Enforcement Directorate. The ED officials are involved in extorting money from companies after raiding them. When I spoke last time, people asked me about papers. Today, I present to you all the papers,” said Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut at a press conference held at party headquarters Sena Bhavan.

Mr. Raut presented the papers claiming transactions of Navlani’s companies where they received money from Dewan Housing Finance Limited, Wadhawans of HDIL and Avinash Bhosle group of companies among others.

“All these transactions are right after ED raids. A complaint based on these papers has been filed with the Mumbai police against Navlani and four officials of the ED. These officials will soon be behind bars,” said Mr. Raut.

Asked about the names of the officials, Mr. Raut said he will disclose them once the Mumbai police complete their probe.

The Sena leader pointed out that Maharashtra and West Bengal are two States which have seen the highest number of ED raids and all against those who are anti-BJP.

“Fourteen leaders of the MVA and seven in WB had to face the raids. At the same time, ED officials are getting ticket to contest from the BJP. I state as a responsible MP that the said officer had financed 50 BJP MLAs in the Uttar Pradesh election. The ED has become an ATM of the BJP,” he said, mentioning that all these details were sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a letter.

The Sena MP also presented the papers about the association of former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya’s son Neil Somaiya with the PMC bank scam accused Rakesh Wadhwan. “Somaiya was complaining about Wadhawan till the time the latter made his son partner. It was a clear case of blackmail,” he said.

Mr. Raut’s press conference came on a day when IT officials raided the house of Mr. Aaditya Thackeray’s close aide and businessman Rahul Kanal and Mr. Parab’s close aide and businessman Sanjay Kadam and RTO official Bajrang Kharmate.

Mr. Raut said, “Raids by the Central agencies will continue till the time the Mumbai civic body elections are being held. They will raid each ward of Mumbai,” he said, adding that no attempt to destabilise the State government will be successful.  

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