Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to Maharashtra Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president and MLA Jayant Patil for questioning in connection with a case pertaining to alleged irregularities related to Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS). Patil is considered to be a close aide of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. Patil has been asked to appear on May 22.
The ED had issued first summons for appearance on May 12 but he had sought deferment for about 10 days citing some personal and official engagements. Patil, a former minister of home and finance, is also the state president of the NCP and is a seven-term legislator.
He had told reporters last week that he never had any association or financial dealing with IL&FS. Alleged payment of some "commission amount" by some accused companies to entities linked to Patil are under the scanner of the agency and it is understood he will be questioned about these transactions and his statement recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The agency has recently initiated fresh action in this 2019 case after it searched the Mumbai offices of-- Deloitte Haskins and Sells and BSR and Associates, an Indian affiliate of global accounting firm KPMG--, the two former auditors of IL&FS. The Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) filed for bankruptcy in 2018.
(With PTI inputs)
