Two top leaders of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi have come under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate yet again with their roles being examined in cases related to alleged money laundering.
These two leaders are Hasan Mushrif and Anil Parab.
The ED is probing money laundering charges against them under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Mushrif (68), a five-time MLA from Kagal and a former minister is a close aide of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, a former Maharashtra Chief Minister and ex-union minister.
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Parab (58), an MLC and former minister, is a close aide of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
On Saturday, ED sleuths swooped at Mushrif’s home at Kagal in Kolhapur district. This is the third time that Mushrif’s Kagal home has been raided in the last two months.
Mushrif is under the scanner of Rs 100 crore fraud over taking control of the Appasaheb Nalawade Sugar Cooperative Factory at Gadhinglaj area in Kolhapur through a company of his relative.
On Friday night, the ED arrested Sadanand Kadam, a close associate of Parab in connection with the alleged money laundering and involvement in the construction of Sai Resort in Dapoli in Ratnagiri district. Over the last year, the ED has been investigating the case and Parab’s statement had been recorded earlier. Kadam will be produced before a special PMLA court on Saturday.
The MVA comprising NCP, Congress and Thackeray-group of Shiv Sena has condemned the incident.
“It is shocking. It is nothing but selective targeting of opposition leaders. Mushrif is being targeted as he had stood solidly behind Pawar saheb,” said state NCP President Jayant Patil.
“They are just trying to silence the opposition,” said state Congress President Nana Patole.
“Those who are against the government are being targeted,” said Shiv Sena-UBT Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut.
It may be recalled, several big leaders of MVA have been targeted in the past including Anil Deshmukh (NCP), Nawab Malik (NCP), Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena-UBT).
Deshmukh and Raut have been granted bail.