ED seeks transfer of cases against Bhujbal, kin to PMLA court

The Enforcement Directorate today moved the sessions court seeking transfer of two cases against former Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal and his kin from the anti-corruption court to Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court.
"The ED has moved the principal judge of civil and sessions court seeking transfer of the hearing of ACB cases in the PMLA court. The (sessions) court has directed the ACB (anti-Corruption Bureau) to file its reply next month," special ACB prosecutor Pradeep Gharat told PTI.
Last year, the ED had registered two Enforcement Case Information Reports (ECIRs) under the PMLA against the NCP leader suspecting total illegal transactions to the tune of Rs 900 crore and had summoned four individuals of a Singapore- based firm in which Bhujbal's company Armstrong Energy had allegedly invested.

Bhujbal and his nephew Samir were arrested earlier this year by ED in the money laundering case pertaining to alleged irregularities in construction of the Maharashtra Sadan building in New Delhi and the Kalina Library in suburban Mumbai.
The duo were named in a charge sheet by the ED and the State Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
The case against Bhujbal's family members pertains to a housing project "Hex World" in Navi Mumbai wherein its developers, suspected to be the ex-minister's kin, allegedly collected 10 per cent of the total cost of flats booked by around 2300 buyers in 2010, but never started work.

Navi Mumbai police had filed a case of cheating to the tune of Rs 44 crore.
Bhujbal is currently lodged in Arthur Road prison here.