Maharashtra National Congress Party (NCP) leader Jayant Patil appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Mumbai on Monday in a 2019 money laundering case linked to alleged financial irregularities in the now-bankrupt financial services firm Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL&FS), an official said.
Patil is a seven-term legislator and the former Maharashtra minister of home and finance. Alleged payments of a ‘commission amount’ by certain accused companies to entities linked to Patil are under the ED’s scanner. It is understood that he will be questioned about these transactions and his statement recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Speaking to reporters, Patil claimed that he never had any association or financial dealing with IL&FS.
Hundreds of NCP workers on Monday staged a protest against the summons outside the Enforcement Directorate’s office. The protesters- wearing Gandhi caps and holding placards, banners, and a large cut-out of NCP chief Sharad Pawar- claimed the Centre and the ED were indulging in “political vendetta”.
Other leaders including Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Aaditya Thackeray and NCP MP Supriya Sule also voiced their displeasure over the summons.
