Aaditya Thackeray EDs next target?
Suraj Chavan, a close aide of Yuva Sena President Aaditya Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) secretary, was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday.
The agency is looking into Chavan’s role in a money laundering case involving the ‘COVID-19 jumbo centre fraud,’ worth Rs 38 crore.
The Azad Maidan police initially launched the case on August 24, 2022, based on complaints filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya against the company, Lifeline Management Services, Sujit Patkar, a close confidant of Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, and his three partners. This February, the ED registered a money-laundering case after taking cognizance of the case.
ED’s past raids:
The federal agency conducted multiple raids in Mumbai on June 21, including the homes of Chavan, Patkar, IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal, and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials engaged in the scheme.
During these raids, the ED confiscated R2.4 crore in jewellery and R68 lakh in cash. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has claimed that the agency’s operations are politically motivated to attack their leaders before elections.
According to the FIR, the partners of Lifeline Management Services, a hospital management firm, got contracts from the civic authority during the pandemic to oversee gigantic COVID-19 clinics in Worli, Mulund, Dahisar, and Pune using forged credentials, despite having no medical experience.
Suraj Chavan, a close friend of Aaditya Thackeray:
According to ED sources, Chavan is one of four middlemen who reportedly played a crucial role in obtaining these contracts from the BMC.
While the ED is now probing a specific case involving Rs 38 crore, officials estimate that the overall scam is worth over R4,000 crore.
The ED is looking into transactions involving Chavan. Furthermore, Chavan is being investigated for allegedly purchasing four properties in suburban Mumbai valued at R8-R10 crore during the outbreak.
Get all the latest news on Indian daily post.
