ED conducts raids in Maharashtra in connection with loan fraud linked to politician

The ED Thursday conducted searches at multiple locations in Maharashtra in connection with an alleged multi-crore loan fraud perpetrated in the name of farmers and purportedly aided by firms linked to a politician, officials said.

The agency raided nine locations in Mumbai and Parbhani district in Maharashtra as part of a criminal case filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.

The searches are being carried out in the case related to Ratnakar Gutte, a promoter of the Gangakhed Sugar and Energy Limited, they said.

The agency is working to obtain detail evidence as part of the action, they said.

The Nationalist Congress Party had last year alleged that firms linked to Gutte had secured loans worth over Rs 5,400 crore on fake documents made in the name of farmers.

"In 2015, Gangakhed Sugar Factory procured bank loans in the names of more than 600 farmers under the 'Harvest and Transport scheme'.

"These farmers are now getting bank notices for loan amounts some of which are as high as Rs 25 lakh," Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde had claimed.

It is understood that an FIR has also been registered by the state police in this instance.