<p>Chhagan Bhujbal.<br></p>

MUMBAI: Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal apeared before the office of Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 14 to record his statement in Rs 870 crore money laundering case connected with the Maharashtra Sadan scam. Last week, ED had issued summon asking Bhujbal to appear before them for questioning.

The local police deployed heavy bandobast in the area anticipating that NCP supporters may try to create ruckus in the area. The police issued an order across the city, prohibiting assembly of five or more persons.

The ED had arrested Bhujbal’s nephew and former Member of Parliament Sameer in the case on February 1, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). They want to interrogate Bhujbal about the money trail that they suspect Bhujbals received as kickbacks from the RTO land deal. Sameer is in jail custody presently. The ED had earlier questioned Bhujbal’s MLA son Pankaj in the case.

ED had tightened their grip on Bhujbal after state anti-corruption bureau (ACB) had filed a chargesheet against him recently for forgery, cheating, breach of trust, criminal conspiracy and under the Prevention of Corruption act. The ED translated the chargesheet into English and after detail examination they prepared a questionnaire for Bhujbal. They want to question Bhujbal about the suspicious money transactions. The ED will decide their further course of action against Bhujbal based on his replies, said a source.

ED officials earlier stated that Bhujbal family paid cash to various individuals and entities, who returned the money by cheque by purchasing shares of the Bhujbal companies at a high premium. ED recorded confessional statement of various witnesses who admitted that they had collected cash from Bhujbals and returned the money through cheques. The ED officials earlier informed the special court that Bhujbals received funds through criminal activities and created bogus entities to channelize the money.

The kickbacks identified and provisionally attached by the ED so far are to the tune of Rs 114 crore in the Sadan scam. The money trail, including end use of the proceeds of crime, to the tune of approximately Rs 750 crore is yet to be identified. The present value of the properties purchased through the bribe money could be three to four times more than the actual investment. For instance, the Bhujbal’s purchased an old Bandra building (now a plot) in Rs 18 crore in 2006 from the alleged bribe money. The ED attach the plot and present value of the land is worth Rs 80 crore.

