Former Maharashtra minister Hasan Mushrif moves Bombay HC against ED case; hearing on Tuesday

NCP leader Hasan Mushrif. File Pic

Former Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Hasan Mushrif on Monday moved the Bombay High Court seeking to quash the money laundering case lodged against him by the Enforcement Directorate.

Mushrif, MLA from Kolhapur's Kagal Assembly constituency, served as rural development minister in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

The ED had carried out searches at his premises in the western Maharashtra city and had issued summons to him to appear before the agency on Monday.

The ED had claimed suspicious flow of several crore rupees from two companies "without having substantial business" to Sar Senapati Santaji Ghorpade Sugar Factory Ltd, where Mushrif's sons Navid, Aabid and Sajid are directors or stakeholders.

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A division bench headed by Justice Revati Mohite Dere agreed to hear the petition on Tuesday.

Mushrif in his plea said he was targeted by his political rivals spearheaded by (Bharatiya Janata Party leader) Kirit Somaiya.

The petition sought to quash and set aside the ECIR registered by the ED alleging it was "nothing but a result of a motivated conspiracy indicating clear malafides so as to negatively affect the ever-rising political career of the petitioner".

The plea added the real intention of the Enforcement Directorate was to target Mushrif and, therefore, despite having no case and the matter pertaining to the schedule offence being stayed, the agency was trying to arrest him possibly at the behest of Somaiya.

"It is common knowledge as to how in recent times the office of Enforcement Directorate is used to wreck political vengeance and either severely damage or completely destroy political careers," the plea alleged.

Mushrif urged the HC to also quash the summons and to direct the ED to not take any coercive action.

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