ED arrests Thane builder said to be close to Sena MLA in money laundering case

Thane, Apr 07: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested a Thane-based builder, said to be a close aide of Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, in connection with an alleged money laundering case, an official of the central agency said.

According to ED officials, the builder, Yogesh Deshmukh, was summoned by the agency for questioning and placed under arrest in the early hours of Tuesday.

Later in the day, he was produced before a special Mumbai court, which remanded him in the ED custody till April 9, they said.

Last month, the ED had raided a bungalow of Deshmukh situated at Godrej Hill in Kalyan (West).

After the raid, Deshmukh had complained of illness and was admitted to a private hospital.

The raid was conducted in relation to a property deal in Titwala town of Thane district, the officials said.

Sarnaik is already facing a probe by the ED which questioned him in December last year in an alleged money laundering case.

On November 24, the ED had carried out searches at ten properties of Sarnaik, Tops Group and its promoter and a few others in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane.

After the searches, the ED officials had picked up the MLA's son Vihang from his residence and questioned him.

The Shiv Sena had called the raids on the MLA's properties as "political vendetta".