Mumbai: Jalgaon-based jewellery firm director Manish Jain Lalwani (Sharad Pawar aide Ishwarlal Jain’s son) and his wife Nikita appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Nagpur to record their statements on Tuesday. The couple had spent nine hours before the officials and the process was still underway.
Officials said Ishwarlal Jain Lalwani has also been summoned and is scheduled to appear before the ED on Wednesday. The ED had conducted searches last week at 13 locations in Jalgaon, Nashik and Thane.
Incriminating documents found during raid
The money laundering probe into a loan fraud case and the ensuing raids had resulted in seizure of incriminating documents and assets, including 39.33kg of gold and diamond jewellery valued at ₹24.7 crore, and ₹1.11 crore in cash.
Officials said that Manish and Nikita Jain are also being interrogated in relation to alleged benami property and transactions. During the search at their Jalgaon firm, the ED seized suspicious documents from their mobile phones, indicating a foreign direct investment proposal of 50 million Euros from a Luxembourg entity in a real estate company controlled by Manish Jain.
60 properties valued at over ₹50 crore
Details of 60 properties belonging to Rajmal Lakhichand Group have been gathered during the search proceedings, valued at over ₹50 crore, apart from two benami properties beneficially owned by Rajmal Lakhichand and Manish Jain in Jamner and Jalgaon.
The ED is also investigating the role of Manish Jain’s new jewellery business, RL Enterprises, as well as new investments in real estate, car dealerships and establishment of a hospital. According to ED officers, this new firm is registered in the name of Manish Jain’s son from whom the ED seized the aforementioned gold and cash.
