ED likely to use Iqbal Mirchi's seized property to run its zonal office

Iqbal Mirchi. File pic

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is likely to move its Mumbai zonal office to the two floors (third and fourth floor) of Worli-based Ceejay House, which belongs to the late drug dealer Iqbal Mirchi.

Ceejay House is a prime building in Mumbai and a number of politicians are running their offices from there. Millennium Developer Private Ltd, the company of former Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, had constructed this building. The top floor of the building is the residence of Patel.

The ED had lodged a case of Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Iqbal Mirchi, his family members and others which includes DHFL and its promoters. The probe agency had detected a few suspicious transactions related to real estate dealings following which the case was lodged.

The ED had recently moved before the concerned Mumbai court seeking its permission to confiscate Iqbal Mirchi's properties worth Rs 100 crore. The two floors of Ceejay House are part of the total properties that had to be confiscated. In February 2021, the concerned PMLA court had declared Mirchi's wife Hajra and his two sons, Asif and Junaid, as fugitive economic offenders. The order was passed by the court to seize their property.

Now ED wants to shift its zonal office to the third and fourth floor of Ceejay House, which belongs to Mirchi and his family. Sources have claimed that the ED officials have been visiting the Ceejay Building to make necessary arrangements so that their zonal office could be shifted. As of now ED is running it's office from the Ballard Estate situated in the Kaiser-e-Hind Building.

Patel's company, Millennium Developer Private Ltd, bought the rights of Mirchi's Discotheque and Fishermen Wharf Pub in 2004. A deal was struck between the family members of Mirchi and the company in 2004. Following this deal the third and fourth floor of the Ceejay Buildings were given to Mirchi's family. There are 15 properties of Mirchi seized by the ED. As of now ED has not decided to auction his real estate.

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