Chhagan Bhujbal

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), is preparing itself to seize a plot in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, promoted by Pankaj Bhujbal and nephew Samir Bhujbal, the son & nephew of NCP Leader Chhagan Bhujbal respectively. The ED is already investigating a money- laundering case against the Nationalist Congress Party leader and former Public Works Department (PWD) minister Chhagan Bhujbal.

The land pertains to an alleged cheating case in the construction of a residential building, Hex World. The proposed project concerns 2,300 people, who had booked houses in it. Pankaj and Samir have allegedly collected around Rs 44 crore. Due to several problems with the owner of the adjoining plot, the building could not be completed.

This would be the first big attachment since the ED registered two money laundering cases against Chhagan, Pankaj & Samir along with 19 others three months ago for having undertaken illegal transactions to the tune of Rs 900 crore, under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

As per reports from ED officials, the land was purchased in the fake names of Blue Circle Infrastructure & Shivyash Developers. However, were  utilised for the proposed project by Devisha Infrastructure Pvt Ltd. Which is owned by Pankaj & Samir.

The ED investigation is based on two FIRs filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Maharashtra police against Bhujbal for alleged irregularities in the allotment of a prime plot at Kalina worth Rs 88 crore. While the second case was for large-scale abnormalities for nearly Rs 749 crore in the construction of Maharashtra Sadan, government guest house in Delhi. The PWD, under Chhagan Bhujbal, had purportedly awarded sub-contracts on the Andheri-RTO land without inviting tenders.