NEW DELHI, (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday said it has attached assets worth Rs 6.45 crore of a company owned by the brother-in-law of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in connection with a money laundering investigation.

The Enforcement Directorate said in a statement that it has issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach 11 residential flats in Neelambari project, located in Thane near Mumbai, of Shree Saibaba Grihanirmiti Private Limited.

Shridhar Madhav Patankar, the brother of Thackeray’s wife Rashmi, ”owns and controls” Shree Saibaba Grihanirmiti Private Limited, it said.

Rashmi Thackeray is also the editor of Shiva Sena publications such as ‘Saamna’ and ‘Marmik’.

The agency alleged funds that were siphoned off in a money laundering case being investigated against the Pushpak group and its company Pushpak Bullion were ”parked” in the real estate projects of Shree Saibaba Grihanirmiti Pvt. Ltd.

The Pushpak group was booked by the ED under the PMLA in March 2017 in a criminal case linked to demonetisation of two high value currencies — Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 — by the Union government the year before.

Properties worth Rs 21.46 crore of the promoters of Pushpak Bullion like Mahesh Patel, Chandrakant Patel, their family members and companies ”controlled” by them were attached earlier, it said.

Probe found Mahesh Patel had ”siphoned off and layered” funds of Pushpak group concern called Pushpak Realty in connivance with Nandkishore Chaturvedi, an accommodation entry provider or a person who provides fake business entries, the ED claimed.

Pushpak Realty Developer, in the ”garb” of sale, transferred funds to the tune of Rs 20.02 crore to the entities controlled by Nandkishore Chaturvedi after layering it through various connected/unconnected entities, it alleged.

”Chaturvedi who operates a number of shell companies further transferred the money through his shell company Humsafar Dealer Private Limited in the garb of extending unsecured loans in excess of Rs 30 Crore to M/s Shree Saibaba Grihanirmiri Pvt. Ltd.

”Thus, the money siphoned off by Mahesh Patel in connivance with Nandkishore Chaturvedi was parked in the real estate projects by Shree Saibaba Grihanirmiti Pvt. Ltd,” the ED alleged.

Uddhav Thackeray, also the Shiv Sena chief, is heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra which was formed in 2019 after his party, the NCP and the Congress joined hands to run the state.

These parties have alleged that central probe agencies, including the ED, have been targeting their leaders and their families at the behest of the BJP-led government at the Centre.

BJP leaders have said that the agencies were doing their job independently and acting only on the basis of evidence.

Maharashtra minister and leader of Sharad Pawar-led NCP, Nawab Malik was arrested by the ED last month on money laundering charges, his former colleague Anil Deshmukh was held in a separate case and a sugar mill linked to state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was attached by the agency last year in the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) scam case.

Assets belonging to Maharashtra minister and NCP MLA Prajakt Tanpure and others were also attached by it last month in connection with its probe into the alleged scam in MSCB.

It has also questioned Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut’s wife Varsha in a money laundering case while party leader and minister Anil Parab has been questioned by it in the case against Anil Deshmukh. (PTI)

NAGPUR, (PTI): BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday expressed confidence that the party will come to power in Maharashtra on its own.

The former Maharashtra chief minister, who was the BJP’s in-charge for Goa Assembly elections, was greeted by party workers after arrival here earlier in the day. The BJP retained power in Goa by winning 20 out of 40 seats.

Fadnavis proceeded to senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari’s residence from the airport and took his blessings.

Later, speaking at a party function where he was felicitated, Fadnavis said there was a ”wave of change” in Maharashtra too.

False cases were being registered against BJP leaders in the state, he alleged.

”I want to tell the Maha Vikas Aghadi (coalition) government that we will not stop speaking out against your corruption irrespective of how many cases you file against us,” he said.

”The BJP will come to power in the next Assembly as well as municipal corporation and zilla parishad elections in Maharashtra on its own,” he added.

The saffron party’s alliance with the Shiv Sena ended in 2019 after which the latter joined hands with NCP and Congress to form government in Maharashtra.

The victory in Goa was the result of teamwork and people’s faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, Fadnavis said.

The BJP would not need anyone’s support to form government in Goa but it welcomed those who extended support to it, he said.

Every vote the party got in Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur and Uttarakhand was for development and faith in Modi, Fadnavis said.

”We have seen development reaching every corner of the country and government welfare schemes reaching every house. Modi served people during COVID-19 lock down and did not let anyone starve, he also served people by implementing vaccination programme. Even recently, 20,000 Indians were safely evacuated from Ukraine,” he said.

Fadnavis also lauded the development work carried out by Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, who was present at the function. (PTI)

MUMBAI, (PTI): Maharashtra today reported 85 new cases of coronavirus variant Omicron; overall tally rises to 252: Health department.

Meanwhile, Mumbai reported 2,510 fresh COVID-19 cases and one death in the last 24 hours, informed the state health bulletin. As per the bulletin, the financial capital has reported 2,510 new cases, one death and 251 recoveries on Wednesday.

Mumbai has 8,060 active cases and the recovery rate stands at 97 per cent.Presently, 45 buildings have been sealed in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Maharashtra cabinet minister Aditya Thackeray chaired a meeting at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters.

In the meeting, BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar and other health officials were also present. In a series of tweets, Aditya Thackeray said, “As the cases are rising rapidly, we urge everyone not to panic. However, we all must exercise extreme caution and ensure that we are vaccinated, masked up. This is a time to protect one’s self and thereby protect others.”

Thackeray informed, “In the next 48 hours, BMC will be connecting with all educational institutions in the city to plan an organised vaccination drive for all those from 15 to 18 years of age.” “We have also asked all the covid care jumbo centres to be at the stand by, at all readiness levels, along with basic facilities to medical infrastructure. Testing and tracing protocols for all that have been operational all through were reviewed too,” he added.

He informed that in the meeting, they also discussed covid appropriate behaviour guidelines and public place event issues, especially with the New Year being around the corner.

Meanwhile, India reported 9,195 new COVID-19 cases and 302 deaths in the last 24 hours, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday.

MUMBAI, (PTI): The number of coronavirus cases at the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district has gone up to 51, which includes 48 students, a health official said on Sunday.

A few days back, 19 students from the residential school in Parner tehsil had tested positive for the viral infection. The school has over 400 students across classes 5 to 12.

All the students and staff members were subjected to RT-PCR tests, Parner taluka health officer Dr Prakash Lalge told PTI.

”So far, 51 people, including 48 students and three staff members, from the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya have tested positive for coronavirus. All of them have been isolated and hospitalised. Most of the students are asymptomatic and their health is stable,” the official said.

Ahmednagar district collector Rajendra Bhosale said the school campus has been declared a ‘containment zone’.

”I visited the school today. As a precautionary measure, we have deployed a medical team comprising a doctor and two nurses to monitor other students in the campus (in case they develop any symptoms),” he said.

Bhosale said some parents wanted to take their wards home and they have been told a decision on this would be taken after students complete the quarantine period.

The school, part of the Navodaya Vidyalaya network which comes under the Union education ministry, is located at Takali Dhokeshwar village in Ahmednagar district. (PTI)

MUMBAI, (PTI): The tally of Omicron infections reported in Maharashtra rose to 108 on Friday evening with 20 cases of the new coronavirus variant coming to light, officials said. Results of two more Omicron suspected cases are awaited.

As many as 54 of 108 patients have been already discharged.

Eleven new cases were reported from Mumbai, six from Pune, two from Satara and one from Ahmednagar.

Of these new patients, 15 have history of international travel, one patient has history of domestic travel while four others had come in close contact with them.

One patient is a minor while six patients are above 60 years of age. All new patients are asymptomatic. The statement further said that 12 of these patients were fully vaccinated, seven unvaccinated and one was not eligible for vaccination (being below 18).

Reports of 14 cases came from the National Institute of Virology and the remaining from the Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research, Pune.

Mumbai has recorded 46 Omicron cases so far, including those found following screening at the Mumbai International Airport. Pimpri-Chinchwad township has reported 19 cases, Pune rural area 15 and Pune city seven.

Since December 1, 2021, as many as 1,63,553 international travelers came to Mumbai, including 23,933 from `at-risk’ countries. (PTI)

MUMBAI, (ANI): Seven more people tested positive for the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Maharashtra, taking the total number of cases of the new coronavirus variant in the state to eight, informed the public health department on Sunday.

The public health department, said, “Seven more people test positive for Omicron variant of COVID19 in Maharashtra. Total 8 cases of Omicron variant reported in Maharashtra till now.”

The health department added, “A 44-year-old woman who returned from Nigeria on November 24 and five of her relatives have tested positive for omicron variant. These cases are reported from Pimpri Chinchwad, Pune.”

One person aged 47-year from Pune city has also tested positive for the Omicron variant of COVID-19. There are eight active cases in the state including one from Kalyan Dombiwali, 6 from Pimpri Chinchwad and 1 from Pune city.

The new variant of COVID-19 was first reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) from South Africa on November 25. As per the WHO, the first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on November 9 this year.

On November 26, the WHO named the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, which has been detected in South Africa, as ‘Omicron’. The WHO has classified Omicron as a ‘variant of concern’. Dozens of countries have imposed travel restrictions on the southern African nations since the mutation was discovered.

The new Omicron coronavirus variant has been confirmed in 23 countries and their number is expected to rise, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had said.

India has also added several countries to the list from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in the country, including post-arrival testing for infection. (ANI)

AURANGABAD, (PTI): Authorities in Hingoli in Maharashtra on Friday followed the footsteps of Aurangabad and ordered dispensing stations to not sell fuel unless the vaccination certificate of the buyer is checked.

The order by Hingoli Collector Jitendra Papalkar said all pumps will have to put up ‘no vaccine, no fuel’ boards, adding that the chief executive officer of the local Zilla Parishad, the superintendent of police, sub-divisional officers, tehsildars etc would be responsible for ensuring its effective implementation.

Violators would be charged under provisions of IPC, Epidemic Diseases Act, Disaster Management Act etc, the order added.(PTI)

MUMBAI, (PTI): The Shiv Sena on Tuesday pooh-poohed the Maharashtra BJP’s claim that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government will soon collapse and asserted the three-party ruling alliance in the state will remain in power for 25 years.

Talking to reporters after a meeting with NCP president Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut hit out at the BJP over the recent riots in Amravati and the ongoing strike by Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) employees.

The NCP is a key constituent of the Shiv Sena-led MVA government. The Congress is the third partner in the coalition.

Taking a dig at state BJP president Chandrakant Patil for his reported comments that the MVA dispensation will soon collapse, Raut said he should wake up from slumber as the government will complete its second anniversary on November 28.

The Sena MP said the MVA government will last for 25 years and its power centre is where he is standing, a reference to Pawar’s residence.

”He (Patil) must be getting shocks after the early morning oath-taking ceremony. Chandrakant Patil has said this (predicting collapse of MVA) for nearly 28 times. The government will last for 25 years and I am standing near the power centre,” Raut said.

In a dramatic turn of events on November 23, 2019, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis took oath as Maharashtra CM with NCP legislator Ajit Pawar as his deputy in the wee hours, but their government lasted just for around 80 hours.

The NCP president is considered the chief architect of the three-party alliance which assumed office on November 28, 2019.

Without naming the BJP, a former ally of the Sena, Raut hit out at the opposition party over the ongoing strike by MSRTC employees and the recent violence in Amravati in eastern Maharashtra.

“Everyone knows who is inciting the situation in Maharashtra and why it is being done, who is adding oil to the fire on the MSRTC issue, we have the information about this,” the Rajya Sabha MP said.

Attempts are being made to set fire in Maharashtra, from Amravati (a reference to the recent riots in the city) to MSRTC workers strike, Raut alleged. (PTI)