ED issues fresh summons to MP Bhavana Gawali in PMLA probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to Shiv Sena Member of Parliament Bhavana Gawali from the Yavatmal-Washim constituency requesting her to record her statement on May 05 in connection with a money-laundering probe.

The agency had earlier issued summons thrice to Gawali, who did not appear before the agency as parliamentary sessions were on and for health reasons.

In November last year, the ED had provisionally attached immovable property (an office premise located at Nariman Point) worth Rs 3.75 crore to Saeed Khan, one of the directors of Mahila Utkarsha Pratisthan (MUP) (Section 8 Company).

"Investigation under PMLA revealed that there was a well-planned conspiracy to convert MUP ”Trust” into a section 8 Company through fraudulent ways and to siphon off money from the Trust. The same was done by manipulating the books of accounts along with fabricating and forging various documents and signatures of the officials of the Trust," the ED officials claimed. It is stated that Gawali, through her aide Saeed Khan and his accomplices have criminally conspired to convert the Trust MUP into a company through forgery and fraud."

The PMLA Investigation had revealed that this property was purchased from the cash siphoned off from the Trust and converted in cheque as loan entry from a known accommodation entry provider.

Earlier, the central agency had recorded a money laundering case against various individuals associated with MUP in May 2021 and subsequently, one of the directors of MUP, Saeed Khan was arrested in connection with the said case.