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ED orders occupants to vacate Bhujbal residence
MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently conducted a verification at the plush La Petite residence of the Bhujbals in Santacruz after issuing an eviction
MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently conducted a verification at the plush La Petite residence of the Bhujbals in Santacruz after issuing an eviction notice.
The verification at the nine floor building in Santacruz was done to ascertain if the place had still been occupied.
“The verification revealed that the premises are occupied and we have sent an eviction notice to the occupants to vacate the premises peacefully,” said a high-ranking ED officer.
Similar eviction notices have been issued for their properties in Navi Mumbai and an open plot in Bandra, sources said.
“The provisional attachment was confirmed by adjudicating authority after which ED is dutybound to take its possession,” said another ED officer.
The Adjudicating Authority (AA) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is designated to function as the first appellate authority against attachment of assets made by the ED under stringent money laundering laws.
“The AA listens to both the parties following which a decision is taken,” said the officer.
In June 2015, the ED had registered two separate cases under PMLA, with the agency focusing on the “trail of money” and “analysing the assets”.
The agency has arrested Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal and his nephew Sameer in the case.
Recently, the central agency attached 22 properties of Bhujbal and his associates worth Rs90 crore. The attached properties are based in Mumbai and Nashik.
“The properties include flats in Mumbai, agricultural and non-agricultural lands, industrial and commercial plots. The market-value of the said property is around Rs90 crore.” said a high-ranking ED officer.
With this, the total attachment of properties is now worth Rs433 crore.
HT had in the past reported about the central agency’s move to attach more properties in the case.
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