Shiv Sena UBT MLA Waikar skips ED’s second summons

Waikar, his wife Manisha, Nehlanai, Lalchandani, the late Bindra and Dubey were 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.

Early this month, the agency had raided seven places including Waikar’s residence and premises of some of his business partners Aasoo Nehlanai, Raj Lalchandani and Prithpal Bindra, and architect Arun Dubey.

The FIR against Waikar was 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 (MVA) 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.

No arrests have been made in Waikar’s case, though the EOW last year questioned the Jogeshwari East MLA and his wife.

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.