OpIndia has accessed documents which validates NCP leader and former Union Minister Praful Patel’s financial dealings with Dawood Ibrahim and his associates. The new documents accessed by us reveal signatures of Praful Patel on documents that linked him to Igbal Memon, a key aide of Dawood Ibrahim.
We had earlier reported regarding the massive crackdown launched by Enforcement Directorate on the properties linked to Iqbal Memon alias ‘Mirchi’, who had in turn linked to former UPA-era civil aviation minister Praful Patel and his wife Varsha Patel through property deals.
The new documents now expose the direct links between UPA era minister Praful Patel and one of the most wanted criminals Dawood Ibrahim.
The ED came to know of such a link between Praful Patel and Dawood’s aide Memon after they had zeroed in the properties of Memon alias ‘Mirchi’. While tracking Mirchi’s business ventures and properties in India and the UK, the ED has discovered links with a firm that is linked to Praful Patel and his wife Varsha Patel.
Also Read: NCP chief Sharad Pawar had close ties with D-Company head Dawood Ibrahim: Ex R&AW officer NK Sood
According to the list of Mirchi’s properties located in India and the UK, A 15-story building in Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli, named ‘Ceejay House’ was constructed as a JV between Mirchi and M/S Millenium Developers Pvt Ltd in 2006-07. In 2007, the third and fourth floors of the building were given to Mirchi’s family by Millenium Developers.
Former Union Minister Praful Patel and his wife Varsha Patel own a significant number of shares in Millenium Developers Pvt Ltd. In the documents, the 12th floor of the CeeJay House is mentioned as the address of Praful and Varsha Patel. It is notable here that NCP leader Praful Patel’s family owns the CeeJay Group, a large tobacco conglomerate in India.
The revelations followed the arrest of Mirchi’s two close aides — former chairman of Sir Mohammed Yusuf Trust Haroun Yusuf and real-estate broker Ranjeet Singh Bindra. The ED arrested them on Friday.
The ED has named Mirchi as an international drug dealer, smuggler, extortionist and criminal involved in anti-national interest. In 2004, Mirchi was listed as one of the foreign drug kingpins by the US state department. He had an Interpol red corner notice against him. Mirchi had died in the UK on 14 August 2013.
Mirchi and his family members had amassed huge wealth in India and abroad. The family had fled to Dubai and had shifted their empire overseas. Haroun Yusuf, chairman of Mirchi’s trust has been named by ED as the facilitator of many of the shady property deals. The ED has listed 25 properties in the UK owned by Mirchi’s family and business partners.
