Centre should investigate if there was any deal between Praful Patel and Iqbal Mirchi: Prithviraj Chavan

Former Maharashtra chief minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Monday said the NDA government should investigate if there was any deal between NCP leader Praful Patel with Iqbal Mirchi, who was a close aide of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim.

"If any deal or agreement was done, then this government (Modi government) should investigate and tell us what's happened," he told reporters here when asked about reports of Patel's name appearing in a land deal related to Mirchi.

When asked about it, NCP leader Patel said: "When the time comes, I will answer whatever I have to."

BJP has attacked the NCP and demanded a reply from its chief Sharad Pawar in the matter.

"Praful denied he did not have any linkage. There is a property deal and an affidavit was signed. Signatures of Praful Patel and Iqbal Mirchi's wife Hajra Milan were there," said Sambit Patra here at a press conference.

"What is the relationship of NCP with Dawood? These signatures are evidence that there is something. Was it just a property deal or there are deals beyond the property," asked Patra.

Mirchi had bought three properties Sea View, Marium Lodge and Rabia Mansion totally measuring 1,537 square metres in Worli area of Mumbai in September 1986 for an amount of Rs 6.5 lakh through his company Rockside Enterprises.

When the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out searches at these properties, it was found that various criminal cases were lodged against Mirchi.

Later, Mirchi absconded from India and consequently proclamation against him was issued and his various properties were attached under Smuggling and Foreign Exchange Manipulators Authority (SAFEMA), the probe agency said.

Two associates of Muhammed Iqbal Memon alias Iqbal Mirchi have been sent to five days remand of the ED by a local court till October 15 in connection with a land deal worth over Rs 200 crore.

The duo, identified as Haroun Yousuf and Ranjit Singh Bindra, were close aides of Mirchi, an international drug dealer who died in the United Kingdom in 2013.

The investigative agency has identified the benami properties of Mirchi, including 10 properties in Mumbai, one property in UAE and 25 properties in the UK.

The ED will start the process to attach the properties in India and letters rogatory will be sent to the UK and the UAE to attach the properties.