Jagdish Purohit laundered cash after getting bail: ED

Mumbai: A day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided several premises in Mumbai as part of a crackdown on shell firms across 16 states, ED officials said Jagdish Purohit, a chartered accountant whose premises were searched on Saturday, allegedly conducted illegal transactions via his shell firms despite getting chargesheeted. Purohit is accused in a money-laundering case  involving former deputy state chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal.

The ED on Saturday had accused Purohit of laundering Rs 46.7 crore during 2010 to 2011 for Bhujbal. In March 2016, the ED had named Purohit as an accused in the chargesheet against Bhujbal in the Rs 870 crore Maharashtra Sadan scam and related money-laundering case, in which the latter’s son Pankaj and nephew Samir were also named. The ED had also arrested Purohit for his alleged role. “Purohit allegedly began operating his shell firms for laundering unaccounted money of his clients after getting bail in the case,” said ED sources.

“Purohit would issue cheques in lieu of cash to convert the money to white. He would issue remittance bills to his customers. These bills would help in showing that the money was used for importing goods, which would however never happen,” said a senior ED officer.   

According to the agency, during 2010-11, Purohit had issued cheques to Bhujbal and helped the latter launder his unaccounted money, Rs  46.7 crore. “The money had reached Purohit via a firm, Devisha Enterprises,” said ED sources.  

The officials found out that Purohit had floated 700 shell companies, with 20 dummy directors, of which 130 companies were still operational. These companies are allegedly floated countrywide and ED officials are gathering their details. “Purohit was arrested in the Bhujbal case earlier and was released on bail, following which he again got back to his earlier business,” said a senior ED officer. Currently,

Purohit is on the run. The ED has served summons to him, hand delivered to his family. Officials said that when they raided Purohit’s Andheri (west) apartment. Investigators are in the process of identifying and tracking down the dummy directors.