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By: Express News Service | Mumbai |
December 11, 2020 1:57:02 am
The ED has accused Pratap Sarnaik of getting kickbacks from Topsgrup to the tune of Rs 7 crore. (Express photo by Ganesh Shirsekar) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday questioned Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik and his son Vihang in connection with a Rs 175-crore money laundering case against the legislator and security service firm Topsgrup Services and Solutions Ltd.
Sarnaik and his son reached the ED office at around 11.30 am and were questioned for over five hours. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court had directed ED to not take any coercive action against Sarnaik or his son.
Sarnaik Thursday said that it is his responsibility as a legislator to answer ED’s questions. “The ED asked me some questions related to my profession, politics and others.”
The ED case is based on an FIR, filed by a former employee of Topsgrup, Ramesh Iyer, who has alleged that the company cheated the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) of Rs 175 crore. This MMRDA contract, the ED has alleged, was facilitated by Sarnaik for which he reportedly received kickbacks of Rs 7 crore from Topsgrup.
