AMN /
The Enforcement Directorate investigating a money laundering case against former Maharashtra PWD Minister and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, yesterday attached property worth Rs 17.4 crore belonging to developer K S Chamankar. The attached properties include five flats in Mumbai, a farmhouse on the outskirts of the city and several fixed deposits. Three months after two cases of money laundering were lodged against Bhujbal, the ED is yet to record his statement. Developer Chamankar is believed to be a close aide of Chhagan Bhujbal.
In 2005, Bhujbal’s PWD Ministry awarded the development rights of a slum on the Andheri RTO land to Chamankar without inviting tenders. He allegedly awarded the development rights on condition that Chamankar would construct– Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi, the Regional Transport Office at Andheri and a state guest house called High Mount at Malabar Hill for the government.
The ED is investigating the case focusing on the Rs 800 crore that Chamankar and his business associate received after they sold the redevelopment rights of the RTO land in Andheri (West) to a construction company. Recently, the Maharashtra anti-corruption bureau had registered a corruption case against Bhujbal in the RTO land scam after which the ED took over the money laundering case for investigation.