NCP Maharashtra president Jayant Patil waves at supporters outside NCP office before going to ED office in South Mumbai on May 22.
| Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini
Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Mumbai on May 22 in a money laundering case linked to alleged financial irregularities in the now-bankrupt financial services firm IL&FS, an official said.
The senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) reached the ED’s office at around 11.50 a.m. in the presence of a large number of the party supporters.
The agency’s office is located close to the NCP office at Ballard Estate in south Mumbai.
Mr. Patil’s statement is likely to be recorded by the ED officials in connection with the case.
Earlier, speaking to reporters before going to the ED’s office, Mr. Patil said, “I am part of the Opposition and one needs to face such type of suffering. I never heard the name of the IL&FS in the past, but the ED officials have summoned me to appear before them. I will try to address their queries in the legal framework.”
“I appeal to the party workers to maintain peace and allow the officials to do their work. I also ask party workers not to be afraid of it,” said Mr. Patil, a seven-term legislator who is former Maharashtra minister of home and finance.
However, several NCP workers gathered near the NCP’s office, protesting against the summons issued to Mr. Patil. They shouted slogans against the Union government and claimed the action against Mr. Patil was “political vendetta”.
Mr. Patil told reporters earlier this month that he never had any association or financial dealing with IL&FS.
Alleged payment of some “commission amount” by some accused companies to entities linked to Mr. Patil are under the scanner of the ED and it is understood he will be questioned about these transactions and his statement recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The agency recently initiated fresh action in this 2019 case after it searched the Mumbai offices of — Deloitte Haskins and Sells and BSR and Associates, an Indian affiliate of global accounting firm KPMG — the two former auditors of IL&FS.
The Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) filed for bankruptcy in 2018.
