Luxury hotel on civic plot for garden: Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Ravindra Waikar questioned by ED for 9 hours

Luxury hotel on civic plot for garden: Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Ravindra Waikar questioned by ED for 9 hours

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Ravindra Waikar was questioned for nine hours on Monday by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with alleged irregularities in construction of a luxury hotel in Jogeshwari in the western part of Mumbai, an official said.

Waikar arrived at the Central agency's south Mumbai office at noon and left at 9pm, he said.

"I have cooperated with ED officials and will do so in the future as well. If called, I will come again. I have done nothing wrong," Waikar told reporters while leaving the probe agency's office.

Waikar's lawyers Mohan Tekavde and Swati Tekavde, who were with the MLA during the 9-hour questioning, said all details were provided to the ED.

"We submitted them documents from 2001 pertaining to this matter. There are no proceeds of crime linked to my client and no tainted money is involved," they said.

The allegations of a Rs 500 crore scam is bogus and baseless, the lawyers added.

The money laundering probe of the ED stems from an FIR of Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police in which it was alleged that Waikar illegally obtained approval for the construction of a five star hotel on a civic plot reserved for a garden.

As per the FIR, this caused a huge loss to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

The ED had conducted searches at seven locations, including premises of MLA Waikar and some of his partners, as part of the probe. PTI DC BNM BNM