ED grills former CM's son in IL&FS scam case

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday grilled former chief minister Manohar Joshi’s son Unmesh in connection with the multi-crore Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) scam for around eight hours on Monday.

The agency has  summoned Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray for questioning in the same case later this week.

Mr Thackeray, Mr Joshi and Rajan Shirodkar were partners in Kohinoor CTNL Infrastructure Company Private Limited, which had taken a loan and equity assistance of Rs 860 crore over a period from IL&FS to develop the multi-storey Kohinoor Square building in Dadar.

The ED, which issued summons to Mr Joshi on Friday asking him to ap-pear before them on Monday, sought details on Kohinoor CTNL’s partners, clientele, business model, lenders, the loans sought and repaid till date and the jolt suffered by the firm in 2008, bringing the project to a standstill later. The IL&FS had initially invested Rs 225 crore in the company against equity, but sold its shares for a mere Rs 90 crore in 2008.

ED officials were ready with a questionnaire to grill Mr Joshi with regard to the present investigation and the earlier  chargesheet that was filed against the previously arrested accused. Mr Joshi was also questioned on the exit of some partners after selling their stakes.

His responses will now be corroborated with the findings of the investigation.

“I have come as per the summons served to me. I suppose it is about the Kohinoor project but I was not told about the purpose,” Mr Joshi told the media before entering the ED building around 11 am.

Mr Joshi’s questioning comes three days after the agency summoning Shirodkar and the chief financial officer of the company on August 16. The ED took over investigation from the Delhi police, which had earlier arrested senior office-bearers of the IL&FS.

An ED officer said that Mr Joshi might be called again if needed. “Nothing more can be shared at the moment,” said the officer.