Mumbai: Tightening its noose in the multi-crore real estate deals involving fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar’s close aide late Iqbal Mirchi and his family members, the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday carried out raids at 14 places, including Dewan Housing Finance Corp Ltd (DHFL) and Sunblink Real Estate Private Limited offices and its promoters’ residences here. An ED source told that multiple teams of the agency carried out searches at the office premises of the DHFL office and its promoters premises in connection with the loan to the tune of Rs 2,186 crore given to Sunblink Real Estates since 2010. According to the source, DHFL allegedly had business links with Sunblink Real Estates, the firm at the heart of investigations into the financial dealings of Mirchi.
The development comes in the wake of the financial probe agency making a submission in a Mumbai court that property developer Sunblink Real Estate Private Limited was given a loan of Rs 2,186 crore by DHFL on three properties, which are under the scanner in the Mirchi case. According to the ED, the purchase of the three assets by Mirchi, who died in London in 2013, were allegedly made from the proceeds of crime. The three buildings - Sea View, Marium Lodge and Rabia Mansion - were sold to a firm for Rs 225 crore in 2010, out of which Mirchi allegedly received the majority share.
The source said, “During the statement recorded under custody of Ranjeet Bindra, who was arrested on October 11. He accepted meetings and further negotiations with Mirchi in London in respect of the said three properties as broker and on behalf of Sunblink Real Estate Private Limited.” Besides Bindra, the ED had arrested Haroon Yusuf, the former chairman of a dubious trust. According to the central probe agency, Bindra acted as a broker for the land deal while Yusuf transferred the money to a trust and facilitated the deal. (IANS)