ED raids premises linked to Maharashtra Minister Anil Parab

Raids come ahead of crucial BMC polls

In a jolt to the Shiv Sena, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday raided multiple locations across Maharashtra linked to party leader and State Transport Minister Anil Parab after the agency filed a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED searched seven premises in Mumbai, Pune and the Konkan region (particularly in Dapoli where Mr. Parab owns a resort) either directly belonging to Mr. Parab or belonging to persons said to be connected with him.

The raids began at 6 a.m. Among the places searched were Mr. Parab’s official residence, official bungalow ‘Ajinkyatara’ in south Mumbai, his private residence, the residence of a person in Kothrud who has had dealings with Mr. Parab, as well as places in Ratnagiri and Mr. Parab’s resort in Dapoli, which has been in the eye of a political storm for several months now.

Mr. Parab is the third Minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led tripartite ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’ (MVA) coalition to feel the heat of Central agencies after the ED arrested NCP leaders Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik.

The raids on Mr. Parab, a close confidant of Chief Minister and Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, come a day after the ED on Wednesday issued summons to Sena leader Yashwant Jadhav, the former chairman of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) standing committee, for alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act.  

The timing of the raids is significant given that the polls to the BMC – considered to be India’s richest civic body – are due in some months. The Opposition BJP is straining every sinew to break the Shiv Sena’s stranglehold over the BMC, which is considered to be the Sena’s nerve-centre and financial lifeline. The BJP recently launched a ‘Pol Khol’ campaign to expose the alleged corruption brewing within the civic body.  

Both Mr. Parab and Mr. Jadhav are key strategists in the upcoming BMC poll, besides having the Chief Minister’s ear on major issues pertaining to policy in the State government and the BMC respectively.