Praful Patel appears in ED office in Iqbal Mirchi case

Mumbai, Aug 23 (IANS) Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel on Monday arrived at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office here in connection with the Iqbal Mirchi money laundering case.

According to ED officials, the NCP leader came at the agency's office here in the afternoon and left after some time.

Speaking to media, Patel said, "I had come to sign some papers at ED office with respect to Iqbal Mirchi case."

Praful had earlier been questioned on several occasions by the ED in connection with the money laundering probe involving Mirchi, a close aide of Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

The ED registered money laundering case against Mirchi's wife and others in September 2019.

A criminal case was filed against Mirchi, his family members and others for alleged illegal dealings in the purchase and sale of Ceejay House, Sahil Bungalow, Rabia Mansion, Marium Lodge, and Sea View properties in prime locations in Mumbai.

Ceejay House is located at Worli and Arun Chambers in Tardeo area of Mumbai, worth Rs 76 crore. Other properties are worth Rs 500 crore, including Sahil Bungalow, Rabia Mansion, Marium Lodge, and Sea View in Worli, three commercial shops in Crawford Market, and five acres of land in Lonawala.

The ED has so far arrested several accused, including Kapil Wadhawan, Dheeraj Wadhawan and Humayun Merchant. The agency filed a charge sheet in December 2019 in a Special PMLA court.

The ED till date has attached properties to the tune of Rs 798 crore in India and abroad under the PMLA provisions of Mirchi and his family members. A court here has declared Mirchi's wife and two sons as "fugitive economic offenders" and also ordered the seizure of their properties in India and abroad in February this year.