Pankaj Bhujbal is the son of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Public Works Department (PWD) minister Chhagan Bhujbal.
The Bhujbal family, it seems, is in for more trouble. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday confiscated the passport of Pankaj Bhujbal over an alleged Rs 840 crore money laundering case committed by the Bhujbals and their associates. Subsequently he has been given a week's time to dispose himself in ED's Mumbai office.
Pankaj Bhujbal is the son of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Public Works Department (PWD) minister Chhagan Bhujbal.
This is third summons issued to Pankaj Bhujbal since September 2015.
A senior ED official told dna, "Like Sameer (Chhagan Bhujbal's nephew), Pankaj was also accused of embezzlement of funds in the Maharashtra Sadan scam and criminal breach of trust in a residential project at Navi Mumbai. Hence questioning is required."
"Passport seizure is part of the probe. Generally in such cases, the apprehension is that the accused will try to abscond to avoid the process of probe," he said.
According to the legal team of ED, if he (Pankaj) does not appear before it at the given date, it could go for a non-bailable warrant against him.
Meanwhile, Sameer's remand is getting over on February 8. He is likely to be present before special court for the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on February 9. Sameer was arrested on February 1 and was remanded in ED custody for six days.
Sameer was accused of managing several private firms floated by the Bhujbal family, along with Chhagan Bhujbal's son Pankaj. The ED has alleged that the books of accounts of some of these firms reflect unexplained transactions, which, the agency suspects, are nothing but "kickbacks received by the Bhujbals".
Sameer, who was first summoned by enforcement sleuths to explain the suspected financial deals, reportedly didn't cooperate with the department and hence was arrested under Section 19 of PMLA .
According to the ED's remand report on June 17, 2015, the ED has registered a case under the anti-money laundering act against Chhagan Bhujbal and 19 other accused. This was after the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) filed a case against Chhagan Bhujbal, as part of its investigations into alleged irregularities in the award of a contract of three projects in 2006 as PWD minister. The contract, which was given to M/s Chamankar Developers, included construction of Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi, a new Regional Transport Office (RTO) building in Andheri, and a state guest house at High Mount, Malabar Hill, Mumbai. It is alleged the contracts were awarded without inviting tender and in return, firms and trusts controlled by the Bhujbal family received kickbacks.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Sameer")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}