Shiv Sena leader & MVA Minister Anil Parab summoned again by ED in Money Laundering Case

In a key development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Shiv Sena leader and Maharasthra Minister Anil Parab once again in connection with a money laundering case on June 21. Parab was earlier summoned on June 15, however, his legal team had sought more time from the agency. The agency wanted to record Parab’s statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). 

The three-time MLA was previously interrogated on May 27, following raids at seven premises, including the resort. Parab is also facing some other charges of alleged irregularities and corruption. It is pertinent to mention that Parab is the third Maharashtra minister on the central probe agency's radar. The ED had earlier arrested state's minority affairs minister Nawab Malik and former state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in different money laundering cases.

Anil Parab under ED's radar 

In the month of March, the Income Tax department had carried out searches on a cable operator in Mumbai, a transport department employee, and the businesses connected to him. Raids were conducted at 26 locations in Mumbai, Pune, Sangli, and Ratnagiri.

During the searches, it was learnt that a piece of land in Maharashtra’s Dapoli was bought in 2017 by state minister Anil Parab for Rs 1 crore from a Pune resident named Vibhas Sathe. However, the registration of the said purchase was done only in 2019. The Minister later sold the land to cable operators for Rs.1.10 crore in 2020, sources told Republic. During this period, the construction of a resort - Sai resort - commenced on this land but the authorities were not informed about this. The cost of construction - over Rs 6 crore spent in cash, was not accounted for by the Shiv Sena MLA nor the cable operators in their account books, sources further said.

Earlier, Parab's role was already being probed by the agency in another money laundering case against former Maharashtra home minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh.