Enforcement Directorate summons NCP leader Praful Patel

MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), has summoned Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel in an alleged money laundering-terror funding case and has asked him to join the probe on Friday. The summons follows the recent searches and seizures made by the federal agency where it has stumbled a 2007 confirmation deed entered into between Millennium Developers and the family members of late drug lord Iqbal Memon alias Iqbal ‘Mirchi’.

Patel is a promoter of the realty firm that developed plush Ceejay House in south-central Mumbai, which is being investigated as ‘proceeds of crime’ of the late drug lord who is also a close aide of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim wanted in the 1993 Bombay blasts case.

When reached for his comments, Patel said the allegations against him are baseless. “It is an old case and since I am on election tour, I am not privy to the documents. But I can tell you that the allegations against me are false and unsubstantiated.” A source close to the politician said that ED’s case was politically motivated, as it comes just a week before Maharashtra goes to the polls.

According to the document reviewed by ET, a Deed of Confirmation was signed on February 21, 2007 between Millennium Developers and ‘tenants’, identified as Hajra Memon, wife of Iqbal and their children, Asif and Junaid. The said document bears the signature of Praful Patel identifying him as a ‘co-owner’ of the said property.

“... the owners had agreed to provide the tenants an alternative accommodation in Shreeniketan building (now known as Ceejay House), “admeasuring 9,000 sq ft, including the proportionate area of common toilets on the third floor and 5,000 sq ft, including the proportionate area of common toilets on the fourth floor of the building, with six car parking spaces and one open car parking on an ownership basis,” the document states.

Sources added that Patel’s wife, Varsha who is also a promoter of firm will also be summoned in due course.