More than two years after so-called activists filed a complaint with a barrage of baseless allegations, the Enforcement Directorate has finally given a clean chit to Avighna Developers. "We conducted a preliminary inquiry into the allegations and found nothing. There is no FIR and no pending proceeding in the case now," ED sources told DNA.
In November 2016, there was a storm in the media that the ED was investigating into allegations of money laundering involving a former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and the involvement of a leading city developer in the scheme of things. It turns out that the smear campaign by motivated elements was launched to target the developer's reputation, and the clean chit comes as an apt closure for the Avighna management.
In their complaint to ED, the mischievous elements had alleged that the former CM had ploughed his funds through offshore routes into a luxury housing project of Avighna Group in Parel.
The complainant had roped in BJP MP Kirit Somaiya to intensify the baseless allegations against his political rival, causing immense collateral damage to Avighna Group's repute. When contacted, Somaiya said, "My job as a people's representative is only to bring an issue to the notice of the investigating officials and the judiciary. After that, I have not followed up in the case."
On their part, the ED officials maintain that only a 'preliminary inquiry' was conducted to ascertain the facts related to the case and it was found that there is no substance in the allegations.
The Avighna Group approached the ED officials immediately after the allegations surfaced in 2016 and showed them all the relevant papers. "The ED accepted our submissions, ceased further investigations in the case and the clean chit by ED is a logical closure in the matter," said Kailash Agarwal, chairman of Avighna Group. He added that it was a malicious operation by elements with vested interests. "The allegations about a former CM investing funds in Avighna Group were baseless. No politician has ever invested a single rupee in Avighna Group at any point and our books clearly reflect this," said the NRI businessman.
Agarwal said that Avighna Group has been at the receiving end of motivated campaigns by blackmailers for years. "The same blackmailer elements have been misusing the legal machinery for years to harass us, with the objective of extracting funds. As developers of Mumbai's biggest and most successful cluster redevelopment project, we have always followed the law of the land and pursued each of the issues legally to get them shot down by the appropriate forum," said Agarwal.
){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}
){kind=small}
 "One Avighna Park")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}