The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday morning, 25 May, conducted raids at seven locations in Pune and Mumbai linked to Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab, including his official residence.
The searches are being carried out as part of a money laundering probe against the Shiv Sena leader and others over alleged discrepancies in a land deal in the coastal Dapoli area, news agency PTI reported, citing officials.
The ED has filed a fresh case in the matter under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Parab had allegedly bought a portion of land in Ratnagiri district's Dapoli in 2017 for a consideration of Rs 1 crore, but the deal was registered in 2019, as per a PTI report.
A resort was built on the purchased area between 2017 and 2020. The land was allegedly sold in 2020 to a Mumbai-based cable operator Sadanand Kadam for a consideration of Rs 1.10 crore.
In March this year, the Income Tax (I-T) department had said that tax-related irregularities were detected in relation to the purchase of the land in question and the construction of the resort.
'Anil Parab Should Prepare To Go to Jail': Kirit Somaiya
Soon after the raids began on Thursday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya said that Parab should prepare to go behind bars like former Maharashtra ministers Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik.
On the other hand, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut came out in Parab's support, saying that the BJP was misusing central agencies against the Opposition. "This is just a conspiracy to defame the Maharashtra government," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar also spoke against the misuse of central agencies, saying, "Don't know why this action has been taken against state Minister Anil Parab. All I want to say is that action should be held in a transparent manner."
BJP leader Somaiya in March had alleged that the Sai Resort and Sea Conch resort in Dapoli is owned by Parab. The latter, however, had denied the claims.
Last year, Parab had been questioned by the ED in a money laundering case linked to former state minister Anil Deshmukh.
Meanwhile, in April, the ED had attached Sanjay Raut's property in connection with the Rs 1,034 crore Patra Chawl land scam case. Raut had reiterated that the Centre and the BJP were blatantly misusing the official machinery, especially in Maharashtra.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)