Maharashtra sadan scam: Arrested by ED, NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal to be produced before court today

Senior NCP leader and former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal will be produced before a court on Tuesday.

Mumbai: Senior NCP leader and former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal will be produced before Special PMLA Court in Mumbai Sessions Court on Tuesday.

He was arrested on Monday night by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) here after 10 hours of questioning in connection with its probe in a money laundering case registered against him and others.

According to an ED official, the arrest of the former PWD minister was effected under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after he allegedly refused to cooperate during questioning.

The agency also recorded his statement in the case.

The agency has filed two FIRs against Bhujbal, his son and nephew and others under the provisions of PMLA, based on Mumbai Police FIRs, to probe the Delhi-based Maharashtra Sadan construction scam and the Kalina land grabbing case.

The senior NCP leader, accompanied by MLC Jitendra Awhad, earlier arrived at the ED office at Ballard Pier in South Mumbai amid tight security around 11.30 AM, as per PTI.

The summons followed a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kirit Somaiya in connection with cases lodged under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and Foreign Exchange Management Act pertaining to alleged irregularities in the construction of the new Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi, allegedly worth several hundred crores of rupees.

The ED had registered a PMLA case involving the Bhujbals and some of their associates and has already arrested the ex-minister's nephew Samir last month in the case.

Samir is currently lodged in the high security Arthur Road jail here.

The ED had also questioned Bhujbal's son Pankaj in the same case last month.

It had also brought out orders for attachment of three properties with an estimated worth of over Rs 280 crore in the case under money laundering laws.

ED had twice conducted searches at nine premises, including properties and offices, belonging to the senior Bhujbal, Pankaj, Samir and few others.

The state Anti-Corruption Bureau has already filed a charge sheet against Chhagan Bhujbal, Pankaj, Sameer and 14 others in the Maharashtra Sadan scam case.

The new Maharashtra Sadan was built at the cost of Rs 100 crore when Congress-NCP coalition was in power in Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson Nawab Malik criticised the development claiming Bhujbal was innocent, that he had done nothing wrong, and that there was nothing against him. He reiterated that the ruling BJP was allegedly pressurising the investigating agencies, as per IANS.​

On the other hand, Somaiya said "Bhujbal's arrest was inevitable" and predicted that the same fate awaits other NCP leaders involved in the mega irrigation scams which he has unearthed.

State BJP president Raosaheb Danve, Minorities Affairs Minister Eknath Khadse and other party leaders welcomed Bhujbal's arrest.

(With Agency inputs)