After I-T dept, ED gets on Yashwant Jadhav’s money trail

Mumbai: The Income Tax (I-T) summons issued to Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal earlier this year, over alleged illegal money transactions by Shiv Sena’s Standing Committee Chairman Yashwant Jadhav was followed up with an Enforcement Directorate summons on Wednesday.

“The fact is that the I-T summons was issued to the office of the BMC Commissioner and not on the person of Chahal himself. Even the data sought from Chahal pertained to the terms of Jadhav as chairman of the most powerful sanctioning committee during the tenures of two erstwhile civic chiefs,” a person close to the development told First India.

Following First India’s May 11 report on the I-T summons issued to the officer of the BMC Commissioner, Chahal had clarified that the summons was not issued to him but that it sought specific data and information from the BMC Commissioner’s office for the terms when Ajoy Mehta (2017-2018) and Praveen Pardeshi (2019-2020) served as Mumbai civic Chief.

The ED summons to Jadhav on Wednesday indicates a laser focus by the central revenue intelligence agency on aspects of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after a money trail was likely established by the Central government agency.

Ironically, Ajoy Mehta concluded his BMC tenure during the tenure of former BJP Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and was appointed Chief Secretary by the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Shiv Sena Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Similarly, Praveen Pardeshi (previously in the CMO) was made BMC chief and was subsequently drafted into the Union Department of Personnel in New Delhi.

While the I-T was seeking details of transactions involving Jadhav during the tenures of both these IAS officials, their current designations have raised questions about whether there may be customized handling of the case against Pardeshi as against Maharashtra official Mehta.