Enforcement Directorate to move court on Pushpak bullion case

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is likely to move court in a bid to obtain a non-bailable warrant against alleged Hawala businessman Nandkishor Chaturvedi in connection with a money laundering case pertaining to Pushpak Bullion, one of the companies of Pushpak Group.

The ED had recently attached properties worth Rs 6.45 crore reportedly belonging to Shridhar Patankar, the brother-in-law of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in the same matter.

The probe agency has alleged that Chaturvedi was managing shell companies and diverted the cash via his firm Humsafar Dealer Private Limited in the garb of extending unsecured loans in excess of Rs 30 Crore to Shree Saibaba Grihanirmiri Pvt. Ltd, which is reportedly being controlled by Patankar.

Thus, the money siphoned off by Patel in connivance with Chaturvedi was parked in the real estate projects of Shree Saibaba Grihanirmiti Pvt. Ltd.

In 2017, the ED had initiated a money laundering probe against Pushpak Bullion and group companies.

It had also attached movable and immovable assets worth Rs 21.46 crore belonging to Mahesh Patel, Chandrakant Patel, their family members and companies controlled by them.

The ED learnt in the investigation that Patel had diverted and layered funds of Pushpak Realty in connivance with Chaturvedi.

Pushpak Realty Developer in the garb of sale, transferred Rs 20.02 Crore to the firms controlled by Chaturvedi.