Baseless, says ED on Mushrif’s sons' allegation of political vendetta in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has called the allegations by NCP senior leader and five-time MLA Hasan Mushrif’s three sons’ that their prosecution is due to political vendetta as "baseless.

The trio had alleged this while seeking protection from arrest in a money laundering case it is probing in connection with a sugar factory in Kolhapur of which they are directors.

The agency on Thursday filed a response to the pleas of the trio, Navid, Abid and Sajid Mushrif, before a special court in the city designated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Blame on BJP

Their pleas had stated that the entire prosecution is due to the political campaign of a BJP leader, which is due to his political vendetta. The agency said the assertion is made on an unfounded allegation, thus nipping the enquiry at the budding stage itself. It further submitted that it is an “independent investigative agency” whose “paramount object is the welfare of the state”.

The sons had claimed that they belong to a respectable family, which the agency denied and said that complaints against them have been filed in different judicial forums.

ED case against Senapati Ghorpade Sugar Factory

The ED registered its case based on a case under the Companies Act in a Pune court lodged by the Registrar of Companies. As per the case, the sugar factory Senapati Ghorpade Sugar Factory Limited has received huge funds in the form of share subscription monies from suspected shell companies and is unable to explain its sources. The reserves of these bogus companies may have been used to park unaccounted monies and reroute it into the company.