ED makes second arrest in money laundering case linked to Sena MLA

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has made a second arrest in connection with its money laundering case against a security service provider company and others that includes Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, officials said on Wednesday. They said Tops Grup Managing Director M Shashidharan was placed under arrest on Monday night here under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED is probing the role of Shashidharan in connection with alleged financial irregularities in providing Tops Grup security guards for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) projects during 2014-15 and the payments made in this connection.

Shashidharan recently had filed a complaint with the Mumbai Police alleging that a former director of the Tops Grup, Ramesh Iyer, had allegedly perpetrated fraud with the company.

Iyer had earlier filed a police case in Mumbai against the security group and its promoter Rahul Nanda for alleged financial irregularities in the company and its transactions.

The ED had earlier arrested Amit Chandole, an alleged associate of Sarnaik, in this case.

The central probe agency, sources had said, is probing Chandole's role and alleged suspect dealings with Sarnaik, Tops Grup security providing service and Nanda, they said.

Nanda, as per media reports, had denied any wrongdoing.

Searches at ten premises of Sarnaik, Nanda and few others were launched by the ED on March 24 in neighbouring Thane and Mumbai.