Money laundering case: ED questions Sena (UBT) MLA Waikar for nine hours

Waikar’s lawyer Mohan Tekavde, who was with the MLA during the questioning, said, “We answered all the ED’s questions and provided them with all the details. We submitted documents to them from 2001 pertaining to this matter. There is no proceeds of the crime linked to my client and no tainted money is involved. Allegations of Rs 500 crore scam made against Waikar is all bogus and baseless.”

Waikar, his wife Manisha and his business associates, AasooNehlanai, Raj Lalchandani, late Prithpal Bindra and architect Arun Dubey had been booked in September 2023 on charges of criminal breach of trust, cheating, dishonestly inducing delivery of property and criminal conspiracy by the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW). The ED’s Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case is based on the EOW’s FIR.

Earlier this month, the agency had raided seven places including Waikar’s residence and the premises of Nehlanai, Lalchandani, Bindra and Dubey.

The FIR against Waikar had been registered after BMC sub-engineer Santosh Mandavkar filed a complaint.

As per the FIR, Waikar had entered into a contract with the BMC after getting permission to run a sports facility at the plot in Jogeshwari. The permission was granted when the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was in power. In early 2023, a notice was issued to him for using a plot of land reserved for a public garden to construct a hotel.

The EOW had also questioned the Jogeshwari East MLA and his wife last year. Waikar has been claiming that he had submitted all the details that will prove that he had followed all rules and laws in the said project.