ED arrests Aaditya Thackeray’s close aide

Mumbai: In a jolt to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested his close aide Suraj Chavan late night on Wednesday in connection with Rs 6.37 crore Khichdi scam in the Brihanumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Chavan will be produced before the ED court on Thursday for his custodial interrogation. The ED sources have said that during the course of investigation and his statements chavan failed to provide satisfactory response and hence he has been arrested for custodial interrogation.

The ED also made raids on eight locations in Mumbai, including the residence of a senior BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) officer and Chavan's residence on Wednesday.

The arrest comes in the ED-led probe into the alleged financial misappropriation by the BMC in Khichdi distribution to migrant labourers during the Covid lockdown. It is alleged that Chavan had influenced BMC officials to render the contracts to select contractors, with alleged direct links to the party leaders.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police in September 2023 registered a case regarding the 'khichdi' scam against Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut's close aide Sujit Patkar, Sunil alias Bala Kadam, Sahyadri Refreshment's Rajiv Salunke and others.

According to the Mumbai Police, the accused did not supply 'khichdi' to the mentioned numbers as per the invoice submitted. Also, the food packets were supposed to be 250 grams, but the contractors distributed only 125 grams of food in those packets.