Never had any deal with Dawood aide Iqbal Mirchi, says Praful Patel

There was no deal between the Patel family and Hajra Memon, wife of gangster Iqbal Mirchi, an aide of Dawood Ibrahim, senior NCP leader Praful Patel said on Tuesday (October 15), dismissing as “mere speculation” reports about an alleged deal in Mumbai.

The ED has summoned Patel on October 18 in connection with its money laundering probe linked to alleged illegal assets of Mirchi, who was an aide of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

“Documents may have been leaked to media. Obviously, you are in possession of some papers, which may have never been brought to my attention,” Patel told reporters here.

Mirchi, a drug lord, died in 2013. It was reported that his wife Hajra Memon entered into a property deal with the Patel family. The ED has claimed that Millennium Developers, a firm run by Praful Patel, transferred two floors in Mumbai’s Ceejay House to Hajra in 2007 “towards beneficial interest of Mirchi in the land” on which it was built.

“My family owns Millennium. No one else is a partner,” Patel said. “There is not even a single paisa worth property transaction between the Patel family and Hajra Memon,” the NCP leader said.

“Everything is with the court receiver of the Bombay High Court. We are nowhere directly looking after the property and neither are we directly in charge of it,” Patel said.

Asked if he saw a political motive behind the ED action in the matter, Patel said, “You (media) have a better idea as some papers about which even I wasn’t aware have come your way.”

The ED is expected to record Patels statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in connection with the property deal. He has been questioned by the ED in an another money laundering case linked to the aviation scam.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is expected to record Patel’s statement.  He has already been questioned by the ED in an another money laundering case linked to the aviation scam.

According to ED officials, Patels Millennium Developers Pvt Ltd constructed a building called Ceejay House in 2006-07 and its third and fourth floors were transferred to Mirchis wife Hajra Iqbal.

The land on which the building tower was made is said to be owned by Mirchi. Investigators claim the land was purchased from the proceeds of crime of money laundering, drugs trafficking and alleged extortion crimes.

Patel and his party have denied any wrongdoing in the deal and said that the property papers explain that the transaction is “clean and transparent”. The ED recently arrested two alleged aides of Mirchi, who died in 2013 in London. Mirchi is alleged to be the right hand man of Dawood Ibrahim in drug trafficking and extortion crimes.