The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on May 15 issued fresh summons to the Maharashtra State President of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Jayant Patil in connection with the Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL& FS) money laundering case.
Mr Patil, a Cabinet Minister in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi and a seven-term member of the Legislative Assembly was issued summons on May 10 and asked to appear before the central agency on May 12. He however sought 10 days time citing personal and official engagements. His statement may be recorded at the Mumbai office of ED.
IL&FS had filed for bankruptcy in 2018. On May 10, ED searched the premises of two former auditor firms in Mumbai — BSR and Associates and Deloitte Haskins and Sells under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The central agency swung into action a week after the Supreme Court set aside a Bombay High Court verdict that quashed a probe by Serious Fraud Investigation Office against the two companies, leading to action against them under the Companies Act and allowing the National Company Law Tribunal to take its enquiry forward against them.
In 2019, ED took cognisance of a First Information Report by Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing filed against IRL, ITNL (group companies of IL&FS), its officials and others. It had then attached assets of various entities in this case.
