ED quizzes DHFL’s Dheeraj Wadhawan over Mirchi deals

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday questioned Dheeraj Wadhawan, a non-executive director of Dewan Housing Finance Corporation (DHFL), over alleged property dealings involving gangster Iqbal ‘Mirchi’ Memon, people in the know said.

Wadhawan, who was admitted to a city hospital over complaints of lung infection, was brought to the agency’s Ballard Pier office around 1 pm and questioned till 8.30 pm, they said.

He did not respond to media queries while leaving the office. The Wadhawans had denied any links with Mirchi.


Dheeraj Wadhawan’s brother, Kapil, who was questioned earlier, visited the ED’s office on Monday to submit certain documents sought by the federal agency.

Last month, the ED had carried out raids at eight locations including DHFL’s headquarters in connection with a Rs 2,186 crore loan allegedly given by the NBFC to Sunblink Real Estate, a company which is under probe for its alleged dealing with Iqbal Mirchi, who died in 2013.

Other than over the loan, the ED questioned Wadhawan on the transactions between Sunblink and RKW Developers, said the people with knowledge of the matter.

Wadhawan has been a whole-time director of RKW Developers since 2007.

Ranjeet Bindra, who has allegedly brokered a property deal involving Mirchi, was also a director of RKW Developers between July 2011 and September 2012.

Bindra is now in judicial custody.

“He was questioned on the loan and the links with the arrested accused, particularly the allegation made by Humayun Merchant (a Mirchi aide) that Wadhawan paid him Rs 5 crore in connection with the properties sold to Sunblink. He was also confronted with the statement of Jayesh Soni, the director of an erstwhile property firm who had managed to bag the land deal but was allegedly threatened by Wadhawan to exit,” said an official in the know of the matter. “He has been called again for further questioning,” added the official.

DHFL has maintained that it had never given any loans to Sunblink. Earlier based on ED’s request, a look out circular was opened against Wadhawan.

A company source, however, said no fresh LoC was issued against him.