Enforcement Directorate registers FIR on Shankarsinh Vaghela over land sale

In Gujarat, fresh trouble seems to be in store for senior Congress leader and former Union Textile Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registering an FIR against him on Wednesday in connection with sale of a prime National Textile Corporation (NTC) land in Mumbai, which reportedly caused a loss of Rs 709 crore to the exchequer.

According to sources, CBI had filed a case of corruption last year. Taking cognisance of this ED has now registered an offence under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Sources said the agency has worked on the case after gathering inputs from CBI and other agencies and also identified the “proceeds of crime” created by the accused. The agency will soon call Vaghela, a former Gujarat CM, and others named in the FIR for questioning.

The case pertains to the sale of NTC land in Worli area of Mumbai to a private Kolkata-based firm for a meagre Rs 29.35 crore when he was textiles minister, sources said. Its actual value was much higher, causing an alleged loss of Rs 709.27 crore to the government exchequer. It was alleged that during UPA rule, Vaghela, who moved from BJP to Congress, had overruled recommendations of officials of his ministry suggesting NTC must make a detailed evaluation of the land.