ED summons Praful Patel on Oct 18 for probe in money laundering case

The ED has summoned senior NCP leader Praful Patel in connection with its money laundering probe linked to alleged illegal assets of late Iqbal Mirchi, an aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, officials said Tuesday.

They said Patel, a former Union minister in the UPA regime, has been asked to depose in Mumbai on October 18.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is expected to record Patel's statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in connection with a deal between a real estate company promoted by Patel and his wife and wife of Mirchi.

He has already been questioned by the ED in an another money laundering case linked to the aviation scam.

According to ED officials, Patel's Millennium Developers Pvt Ltd constructed a building called Ceejay House in 2006-07 and its third and fourth floors were transferred to Mirchi's wife Hajra Iqbal.

The land on which the building tower was made is said to be owned by Mirchi. Investigators claim the land was purchased from the proceeds of crime of money laundering, drugs trafficking and alleged extortion crimes.

Patel and his party have denied any wrongdoing in the deal and said that the property papers explain that the transaction is "clean and transparent".

The ED recently arrested two alleged aides of Mirchi, who died in 2013 in London.

Mirchi is alleged to be the right hand man of Dawood Ibrahim in drug trafficking and extortion crimes.