ED raids multiple locations in money laundering probe linked to Maha minister Anil Parab, others

The ED on Thursday raided multiple locations in Maharashtra as part of a money laundering probe against state transport minister Anil Parab and others linked to alleged irregularities in a land deal in coastal Dapoli area of Ratnagiri district and other charges, officials said.

Locations in Dapoli, Mumbai and Pune are being searched after the federal agency filed a fresh case under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Parab (57), is a three-time Shiv Sena legislator in the Maharashtra legislative council and is the state transport minister.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) action pertains to the allegations of purchase of a parcel of land at Dapoli by Parab in 2017 for a consideration of Rs 1 crore but it was registered in 2019. Some other charges are also being probed by the agency.

It is alleged that the land was subsequently sold to a Mumbai-based cable operator Sadanand Kadam in 2020 for a consideration of Rs 1.10 crore. In between, a resort was built on the same land from 2017 to 2020.

An Income Tax Department investigation earlier had alleged that the construction of the resort started in 2017 and over Rs 6 crore was spent in cash on construction of the resort.

Parab has been questioned by the ED in the past in an another money laundering case linked to former minister Anil Deshmukh.