The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has ꦏsummoned MNS party chief Raj Thackeray in connection with its money laundering probe in the IL&FS alleged payment default crisis case, officials said on Monday.
It had also called Unmesh Joshi, son of former state chief minister and Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi, in the same 🌳case after which he deposed before the central agency in Mumbai on Monday, they said.
Unmesh Joshi's stateme🌳nt has been recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.
Officials said the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief has been asked to appear before the investigating officer of the case on August 22 at the agency's zon✅al office in Mumbai.
The MNS dubbed as "political vendetta" the ED moveౠ to issue the notice to💧 its chief to join investigations.
"Raj Thackeray created a sensation during the Lok Sabha poll campaign earlier this year. It had a significant impact on people and to avoid a similar challenge ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the ED has issued the notice. It is a case of p🌸o🌠litical vendetta," MNS spokesperson Sandeep Deshpande told reporters in Mumbai.
The federal agency is probing Thackeray's involvement in the case in connection with the IL&FS ⛦group's loan equity investment of over Rs 850 crore in a company called Kohinoor CTNL.
The com🦋pany was p📖romoted by Unmesh Joshi and is constructing Mumbai's Kohinoor Square towers.
Thackeray and Unmesh J🐟oshi had jointly bid for ܫsome assets after creating a consortium but later the MNS supremo quit.
"The Kohinoor deal is very old and Thackeray exited it long time back. I won🌞der why the Centre has come up🐓 with the inquiry notice so late," Deshpande said.
He alleged thaꦆt the ED has "become a tool to suppress our voice".
"If the government takes any action with pre൩judice against Raj Thackeray, we will protest on streets," Deshpande said.
IL&FS had invested over Rs 200 crore funds in Kohinoor CTNL and is said to have💧 suffered a loss in 🏅the deal.
The ED, it is understood, wants to look into the ent൩ire transaction and hence has summoned the two.
The agency had last week filed its firstꦰ charge sheet before 𒆙a special court in Mumbai in this case and had attached assets worth about Rs 570 crore.
It had filed a m𒁃oney laundering case in this incident in February this year on the basis of an FIR filed by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of th𝄹e Delhi Police.
In the charge sheet, the agency has alleged that the senior management of IL&FS 🍷indulg🧔ed in acts of commissions and omissions leading to illegal personal gains to them at the expense of the company.
