Chhagan Bhujbal PMLA case: Government says involved firms "dubious"

NEW DELHI: Money laundering investigations against former Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal have revealed that entities which have subscribed to companies controlled by the politician's family were "dubious" and their transactions were done only on paper, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha, in a written reply, said a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has been registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Bhujbal, ex-PWD minister of the state, his family members including MLA son Pankaj, ex-MP nephew Samir, a firm called Ms K S Chamankar Enterprises and others.

"Investigation conducted so far has revealed that the entities which have subscribed to the companies controlled by Bhujbals were dubious companies which existed only on paper and their transactions are not genuine transactions," he said.

Seven properties worth Rs 17.35 crore belonging to family members of Chamankar have been "provisionally attached" and land measuring 95,780 sq mtrs of Ms Devisha Infrastructure Limited at Village Rohinjan in Raigad district of the state, worth Rs 84.90 crore has also been provisionally attached, Sinha said.

He added that the Bombay High Court, on December 18 last year, has constituted a Special Investigation Team comprising the ED Director and the Director General of state Anti- Corruption Bureau (ACB) to conduct the inquiry and submit a report to it.