The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday carried out searches at several locations in Pune as part of its money-laundering investigation related to alleged irregularities in the operation of a Kolhapur-based sugar mill, in which former Maharashtra minister and NCP legislator Hasan Mushrif is under its scanner.
The ED is verifying alleged irregularities in the operation of Sar Senapati Santaji Ghorpade Sugar Factory Limited, with which Mushrif’s three sons are associated.
Under the ED scanner are allegedly suspicious transactions from two companies, without having substantial business, with the Sar Senapati Santaji Ghorpade Sugar Factory. The searches in Pune were carried out at the premises of a business entity that is under investigation for its allegedly irregular transaction with the sugar mill. The agency is likely to record the statement of an official associated with the business entity later this week, officials said.
Mushrif is also under the ED scanner in connection with a cheating case registered by the Kolhapur police in February. The case was registered by the Murgud Police Station. It was registered against Mushrif in connection with alleged money collection from a member of the sugar factory. It was alleged by the complainant that he had been asked to deposit Rs10, 000 though he did not get the sugar.
The agency had questioned Mushrif recently to record his statement in the case. Mushrif had denied all allegations of wrongdoing. He had earlier told the media that he had cooperated in the ED probe, answering all queries that were posed to him. At the time of his questioning, Mushrif had requested the ED to ensure that his statement gets recorded in audio-visual format via CCTV, as per the Supreme Court’s guidelines and provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Mushrif had also requested the presence of his lawyers within visible distance, not audible distance, when his statement gets recorded.
Mushrif, the NCP’s legislator from Kolhapur’s Kagal assembly constituency, served as rural development minister in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
