NCP leader Praful Patel is being questioned over his alleged link with Dawood Ibrahim's aide Iqbal Mirchi

NCP leader Praful Patel today reached the Enforcement Directorate or ED office in Mumbai after being summoned by the agency in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the alleged illegal assets of late Iqbal Mirchi, an aide of underworld gangster Dawood Ibrahim.

Mr Patel, a former Union minister in the UPA regime, reached the Enforcement Directorate office in south Mumbai in the morning, officials said. The ED is expected to record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act or PMLA in connection with a deal between the wife of Iqbal Mirchi and a real estate company promoted by Praful Patel.

He has already been questioned by the ED in an another money laundering case linked to the aviation scam.

According to ED officials, Mr Patel's Millennium Developers Pvt Ltd constructed a building called Ceejay House in 2006-07 and its third and fourth floors were transferred to Iqbal Mirchi's wife, Hajra Iqbal.

The land on which the tower was made is said to be owned by Iqbal Mirchi.

Investigators claim the land was purchased from the proceeds of crime, money laundering, drugs trafficking, and alleged crimes of extortion.

Praful Patel and his party have denied any wrongdoing in the deal and said that the property papers explain that the transaction is "clean and transparent".

At a recent press conference, Praful Patel rubbished reports about his alleged deal as "mere speculation".

"Documents may have been leaked to media. Obviously, you are in possession of some papers, which may have never been brought to my attention," Mr Patel had said.

