Kohinoor Mills case: MNS chief Raj Thackeray may come out unscathed

Raj Thackeray is likely to come out clean in the probe into the alleged financial bungling in the Kohinoor Mills case, though the MNS chief's aide Rajan Shirodkar and his partner Unmesh Joshi might not find an easy route to wriggle out, said sources. Joshi is the son of former Shiv Sena chief minister Manohar Joshi.

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Raj Thackeray on August 22 in connection with its investigation into money laundering allegations in debt-hit Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS).

According to the agency, IL&FS had invested Rs 225 crore in Kohinoor CTNL Infrastructure Co, which is developing the Kohinoor Square tower in Dadar. In 2008, IL&FS surrendered its shares for only Rs 90 crore and booked a loss. Soon, Thackeray sold his shares and exited the consortium.

Thackeray exited the consortium by selling his shares in 2008. Sources in ED said they have summoned Rajan Shirodkar and officials from Kohinoor Group's finance department.

"There are complexities in the deal. We have to probe the money laundering angle also. We have read all documents related to the case where Raj Thackeray's financial record seems to be clean primarily, while Shirodkar and Unmesh Joshi's financial deals are suspicious. We are checking each and every transaction's fine print and its trail as well," said a source from ED.

The federal agency is probing IL&FS group's investment in shares and loans amounting to Rs 860 crore in Kohinoor CTNL, which later became one of its defaulters.

Sandeep Deshpande, MNS leader dubbed this ED notice as a 'political vendetta'. "Raj Thackeray has not left any stone unturned to criticise the BJP and expose their misdeed either through his cartoon or speeches. With the Maharashtra assembly elections round the corner, the BJP is scared of Raj Thackeray. Therefore they are using the ED to pressure him and his party. But we want to tell the BJP that we are not cowards. We will reply to them in their language," Deshpande said.

He added that Thackeray exited from the Kohinoor Mill dealings long ago. "They are sending a notice in 2019. Why were no actions taken all these years? It shows that the ED has been used to pressurise the opposition leaders. This is to break the morale of MNS workers. We are strong and we will not succumb to any tactics of the ruling party," Deshpande alleged.

Unmesh Joshi was not available for comment.

A person close to Joshi said that he has been targeted because of Thackeray. "We raised the loan from IL&FS but at the same time, we have given them space also. There are many developers who have taken loans from IL&FS, but they were not issued notices. We are ready to pay the loan, and for surety, we have mortgaged space at Kohinoor Mill. Kohinoor Square is now owned by Sandeep Shikre and Edelweiss Finance. We have nothing to do with it now."

Sources said though Thackeray will likely come out unscathed but it will put him and his family under strain. "It will tarnish his image as well. Raj Thackeray is the first Thackeray to get such a notice for alleged wrongdoings in financial transactions."