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ED doubts Saket Gokhale’s claim of Rahul Gandhi’s aide paying cash

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has questioned Alankar Sawai, a close aide of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in connection with a money laundering case lodged against arrested Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale for allegedly misusing around Rs 1 crore, collected through crowd funding.

The ED has learnt that Gokhale had collected around Rs 80 lakhs through crowd funding using an online platform, whereas cash amounting to Rs 23.54 lakhs was also deposited into his account.

IANS is in the possession of ED documents which suggests that the probe agency doubts his claims.

When the ED asked Gokhale about the Rs 23.54 lakhs, he said the amount was given to him in cash by Sawai.

“We asked him as to why Alankar Sawai will pay him in cash? Gokhale replied that only Sawai could answer this question. We asked whether there was any written agreement between Sawai and him in respect of Social media work, Gokhale said that it was only verbal agreement,” ED sources said.

Sawai was called to join the investigation on several occasions.

The sources claimed that he was questioned on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

During the questioning, Sawai denied that any payment was made to Gokhale.

The ED sources said that there is no proof as of now to prove that he made the payment and they will confront him together with Gokhale.

“The money was deposited in November 2021 whereas he joined the Trinamool Congress in August 2021. In such case why he will promote Congress party? This is the reason we doubt his ststement,” the sources said.

Funds raised through the campaign “Support Saket in his transparency battle” were used for his sustenance and other social cause activities.

The ED has also alleged that the funds were used for helping his father Suhas Gokhale with his health and legal expenses relating to his promotion.

The agency asked him to provide them a list of freelancers engaged by him to amplify his work, to this Saket Gokhale stated that he did not remember the names.

He also said that he even didn’t know how much amount he had paid to freelancers.

When the ED asked him about the investment in share market, Saket Gokhale stated that he invested the funds raised through crowdfunding in the sharemarket with the hope that the return on investment would sustain him in the long term without having to raise additional funds

Saket Gokhale’s statement was recorded on January 19, 2022, wherein initially he said that he had informed to the donors right from the beginning that the crowd funding is for his sustenance so that he can carry his work full time without having to take up a job.

However when he was shown his post shared on May 23, 2019, seeking support and contribution for campaign ‘SaketversusModi’ in which nowhere he had mentioned that purpose of funds was for his sustenance, he backtracked from his earlier statement by saying that in this campaign he had not raised funds for his sustenance but for later campaigns were for his sustenance.

Crime

Mira-Bhayandar: Police Busts Illicit Liquor Brewing Den In Nallasopara

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Mira Bhayandar: Further tightening their screws against illicit liquor mafia ahead of the assembly elections scheduled to be held on 20, November, the Mira Road-based central crime branch unit attached to the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai (MBVV) police busted yet another massive illicit liquor brewing unit which was operating from a hillock in a dense jungle area in Nallasopara on Thursday.

Acting on a tip-off, a team led by assistant police inspector- Dattatray Sarak marched 2-kilometre-deep inside the jungle area located in the Dhaniv Baug area of Nallasopara (east) at around 8 am.

The team seized multiple barrels of hooch along with ingredients including 2,800 litres of fermented jaggery wash, 140 litres of liquor, chemicals and other manufacturing equipment collectively worth more than Rs. 1.42 lakh.

However, the den operator identified as- Prabhakar Bhoye and his employees managed to evade the police dragnet. The entire material and equipment were destroyed on the spot.

An offence under the relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act-1949 for construction/works of any distillery or brewery and manufacturing intoxicants has been registered in this context at the Pelhar police station.

The consumption of illicit liquor which is unscientifically manufactured by using toxic chemicals like methanol and rectified spirit can cause deaths and other serious ailments including loss of eyesight. Further investigations were underway.

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Crime

Wildlife Smuggling Racket Busted: Rare Snakes, Reptiles, Caged Orangutan Rescued From Dombivli House

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Thane: In a significant operation exposing a wildlife smuggling racket, the Forest Officials rescued rare species of animals from a highrise in Dombivli. The officials raided an apartment in Palava City, Dombivli and found exotic animals including lizard, turtles, rare species snakes and other reptiles stored in the flat. Horrifying enough, the team found a monkey caged in the washroom of the apartment.

It was later confirmed that the rescued animals included Ignuana (lizard), an Orangutan and python. The operation was conducted by the Forest Range Officers from Thane and Kalyan along with a team from Manpada Police Station after a tip.

The officials did not find any accused present in the apartment at the time of the raid. A case under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 has been registered and a search for the accused is underway. Meanwhile, the seized species are handed over to a local NGO on a temporary basis for observation.

The video of the forest officials raid surfaced on the internet shows a boy opening the door of the well-kept apartment. After entering the flat, the officials gradually come across wildlife species stores in small cage, plastic boxes piled up in the passage and shocking enough an Orangutan in washroom at the end of the apartment.

As per the statement issued by the police, the teams raided the 8th floor apartment in B wing of Savarna Building in Palava City, Dombivli. In the action, the exotic animals seized as prima facie identified as python, ignuana (lizard), turtle, snake etc. The seized wildlife species, on temporary basis, are handed over to Birsa Munda- a local NGO. The pachanama, documentation and search for the accused is underway, it added.

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Crime

Mumbai: Unidentified Body Of Man Chopped Into 7 Pieces Stuffed In Plastic Boxes Found Near Gorai Beach; Probe On

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Mumbai: The dismembered body of a man, estimated to be between 25 and 40 years old, was discovered in several plastic boxes on the side road which goes to Gorai Beach in Mumbai on Sunday.

Upon receiving the information, police arrived at the scene and took the body into custody. It was later sent for a post-mortem examination. The body has not yet been identified, and a case has been registered.

According to police, on Sunday, a male body was found near Picxy Hotel, Babar Pada, Gorai, Borivali West. The body was cut into seven parts and packed in four plastic boxes. The deceased, believed to be between 25 and 40 years old, was wearing dark blue jeans and black shoes. His right hand bore tattoos.

A resident named Santosh Shinde, 55, from Mira Road, informed the Gorai police after learning about the incident. The Gorai police recovered the body from Shefali village in the Babarpada area.

A forensic team is currently investigating the case, and inquiries are ongoing in the vicinity of the incident location. Police have stated that the recovered body remains unidentified. The Gorai police have registered a case, and further investigation is underway.

A special team has been formed to investigate, and information is being gathered from CCTV footage and nearby police stations to assist in identifying the body.

A police officer said that the body was sent to Bhagwati Hospital for a post-mortem. “We can’t conclude anything immediately, as we are still investigating the matter,” the officer said.

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