The Enforcement Directorate carried out raids at dozens of locations in Delhi, including on the premises of a former Congress MLA, in connection with its probe in a foreign exchange violation case.
The agency carried out raids at residences and offices of businessman Gagan Dhawan and ex-Congress MLA Sumesh Shokeen. Raids were carried out under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Dhawan is a close aide to Sumesh Shokeen, the Congress leader who fought the last assembly election from Matiala constituency.
It is alleged that Gagan Dhawan has laundered money of Sandesh Arya though his companies based in Ethopia and some other countries. Income tax authorities had raided Arya's residences in 2011 and a case was registered then. The agency also alleged that four IT officials are also on their radar as they tried to hide information about ill gotten money from the ED sleuths.
The raids were carried out at four places in Vasant Kunj, Dhawan's residence at East of Kailash. Searches were also carried out Indraprakash Building at Barakhamba road and Kautilya Marg in Pancharipuri. Agency sleuths also searched two farmhouses, one in Bijwasan and other in Chawla, owned by Shokeen.
It is alleged that Gagan Dhawan's name was also found in the visitor's diary of the the former CBI chief Ranjit Sinha, who is accused of "scuttling" and "influencing" the probe into the coal block allocation cases by meeting the accused persons.
CBI filed an FIR against Ranjit Sinha under sections - 13 (2), which deals with "criminal misconduct" and section 13 (1) (d), pertaining to abusing official position while holding a public office and indulging in corruption, under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
It is alleged that Dhawan was a regular visitor of Sinha and it is also alleged that a lot of money has been siphoned off through the companies of Dhawan. "We have collated several documents pertaining to FEMA violation," said an ED officer.
