TIA NEWS

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today arrested former Maharashtra PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal’s associate and chartered accountant, CA Sunil Naik in connection with the money laundering case.

The special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court had earlier issued a non-bailable warrant against Naik, who was the CA at Bhujbal- owned Mumbai Education Trust (MET) at Bandra.

The ED is probing Bhujbal, his son Pankaj and nephew Sameer in the case concerning a contract the former allegedly gave a builder in 2005 without inviting tenders when he was the state PWD minister. Earlier, a special trial court issued a non-bailable warrant against Bhujbal’s son Pankaj Bhujbal and 28 others accused in a Rs. 800 crore money laundering case. On Wednesday, the ED initiated the search operation and visited the residences of most of the accused.

Only Naik was found at home. The ED also looked for Pankaj but in vain. The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau had earlier filed two FIRs against the Bhujbals and others under the provisions of the PMLA to probe the Delhi-based Maharashtra Sadan scam and the Kalina land grabbing case.