Shiv Sena Member of Parliament and leader Sanjay Raut slammed the Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday, claiming that some ED officers had become ‘ATMs’ of the BJP in Maharashtra. He added that the ED was running a big racket in Mumbai and he had filed an FIR against four of its officials in Mumbai.
“Mumbai Police will soon begin investigating a criminal syndicate and extortion racket by a nexus of ED officers. Mark my words, some of these ED officers will go to jail too,” he said.
On the raids currently underway in Mumbai and Pune, Raut said, “Why are Central agencies targeting a select few from states like West Bengal and Maharashtra? Can’t they get anybody else from other states? It’s a tactic to pressurise and destabilize the MVA government,” he claimed. However, he added, the MVA government would complete its tenure.
“I have been watching the income tax department attack our workers since this morning. Until the municipal elections are held, I think the I-T department will conduct raids in every BMC ward and Shiv Sena shakha in Mumbai.
“Now this department has the same work remaining to do. The question being asked across the country is: why are the Central probe agencies, including income tax paying attention only to certain people in Maharashtra and West Bengal? This is a conspiracy to overthrow the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government,” he alleged. Raut was accompanied by party MP Arvind Sawant.
“I have so far submitted 50 names with necessary proof to the I-T department and the ED but why have they not launched investigations?” he asked. “I had sent a list of 75 bogus companies of Dhawangale, who is close to the BJP, to ED. But there has been no probe. The highest number of ED operations are taking place in Maharashtra. ED has taken action against 14 key leaders of Maha Vikas Aghadi and seven leaders in West Bengal,” he said.
“Does only Maharashtra have income and tax? The Shiv Sena will soon reveal the names of who is controlling all these activities,” said Raut.
“In a previous press conference, I had mentioned the name of Sumit Kumar Narwar, who used to sell milk but whose net worth is now Rs 8,000 crore and he lives in Malabar Hills. I have already submitted a letter with details pertaining to extortion, bribery, corruption in Central probe agencies,” he said.
If the BJP-led government is deploying Central probe agencies against MVA leaders, then the Shiv Sena also has the right to counter-attack. “Central investigative agencies have the power to investigate. Similarly, Mumbai Police also has powers. The names of ED officers will be announced at the next press conference,” he declared.
Raut alleged that ED officers had become the BJP’s ‘ATM’. “Senior ED officers are contesting on the BJP ticket. In this regard, I have written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 28. In this letter, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan wants to clean out not just garbage but also corruption. I will expose the extortion by ED and the criminal syndicate in 10 parts,” he said.
According to Raut ED officer Jitendra Navlani runs the ED racket. “Navlani and seven companies associated with him are involved in the transfer of money to their accounts from the companies and persons against whom the ED had launched a probe,” he alleged.
However, Raut revealed that a complaint had been filed on Tuesday against four ED officers with the Mumbai police, which will investigate the matter. “Some ED officers will go to jail after the case is investigated,” he warned. He claimed that ED officials had taken ‘ransom’ from over 100 builders.
