Five more assets of Bhujbal worth Rs 20 crore attached

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday initiated attachment of properties of tainted Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal’s five more immovable assets, all worth Rs 20.41 crore.

The officials said that these properties include bunglows, flats and office space situated at Mumbai, Nashik and Pune and were controlled by Bhujbal.

The proceedings were initiated under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

Earlier, the ED had registered a money laundering case against Bhujbal under the provisions of PMLA, based on an FIR registered by the Anti-Curruption Bureau’s (ACB), Mumbai zonal office in June 2015.

It was alleged that Bhujbal, the then PWD Minister of Maharashtra along with his other associate misused their designation and entered into a criminal conspiracy to cheat and cause financial losses to the government by sanctioning various development projects. It was also alleged that in lieu of the sanction of the development proposal, Bhujbal accepted money (kickbacks) through the firms, companies of his relatives and employees. The proceeds of the crime have been pegged at Rs 840.16 crore. Till now, the ED has provisionally attached properties to the tune of Rs 178 crore, including the present attachment.

The ED arrested Bhujbal on March 14, 2016 and he is presently in judicial custody. The ED filed a prosecution complaint against Bhujbal and 52 others on March 30, 2016 before the Special PMLA Court.

Bhujbal, his son Pankaj and nephew Sameer along with Chamankar Developers are facing charges of corruption in Maharashtra Sadan scam.

Bhujbal is also facing charges of amassing disproportionate assets.