Kirit Somaiya claims 'Thackeray govt protecting Pratap Sarnaik in money laundering case'

Senior BJP leader Kirit Somaiya on Friday accused Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government of protecting Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik in a "Rs 175 crore MMRDA Security Contract Fraud." Somaiya's comments come after a Mumbai court on Thursday remanded Amit Chandole, an alleged associate of Pratap Sarnaik, in the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) custody till November 29 in a money laundering case.

Chandole was arrested by the ED on late Wednesday night under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a case against a security service provider company and others. The central agency sources had said that it was probing Chandole's alleged suspicious dealings with Sarnaik, Tops Group security providing service, and its promoter Rahul Nanda.

'Thackeray sarkar protecting Shiv Sena's Pratap Sarnaik'

In his tweet, Somaiya claimed that he had written to Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the Maharashtra government regarding the "fraud" but the MMRDA has "not filed a complaint". The former MP claimed that a private FIR was registered on October 28 and asked: "Why no inquiry/action till now?" 

Somaiya also shared a copy of the letter he wrote to Niket Kaushik, Joint Commissioner of Police, Economic Offence Wing regarding the "Fraud by/at Tops Securities Company Mumbai, Rahul Nanda and his family/colleagues."

The ED launched searches at ten properties of Sarnaik, Nanda and a few others on November 24 in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane. Tops Group providing security guards to a Maharashtra government organisation during 2014-15 is under the ED's scanner among other things, as per PTI sources.

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The ED case was filed after studying a Mumbai Police economic offences wing FIR filed against the promoters of the business group on charges of alleged irregularities in the acquisition of some overseas assets in 2009 and the transactions of some trusts based abroad. ED officials had also questioned the MLA's elder son Vihang. Sarnaik, 56, represents the Ovala-Maijwada constituency in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and is also a spokesperson for his party.

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