An Enforcement Directorate notice to Jayant Patil’s brother Bhagat Singh Patil, sent a few days ago, is being linked to a secret meeting that is said to have taken place in Pune on August 12 between NCP chief Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar.
When the two met, Jayant Patil, the MLA from Islampur, was also present. The buzz is that the ED notices to Jayant Patil’s brother and other relatives were discussed and also that he might support the Ajit Pawar group.
Meeting was not secretive
However, Patil has scotched the speculation and also said that the meeting was not secretive: as individuals can meet anywhere without having ulterior motives. The MLA further clarified that he was not aware of what transpired between the duo.
ED notice and meeting should not be linked
Patil also underscored that the ED notice and the meeting should not be linked. His brother appeared before the agency four days ago and recorded his statement. The notice was linked to a specific company, and Bhagat Patil provided all documents and details to the ED, he said.
The meeting in Pune was not linked to it, he added. A few days ago, the ED had served a notice on Bhagat Patil to secure his statement in the Rajarambapu Sahakari Bank Ltd (RSBL) case, wherein investigations indicate companies withdrew dubious Value Added Tax refunds that amount to more than Rs1,000 crore.
