Scam custodian B K Bhattacharya has filed a case before the Special Court seeking to attach assets worthRs 3.4 crore from broker Pallav Sheth, who had allegedly doled out the amount to Shiv Sena leaders, including Bal Thackeray's nephew Raj and the latter's wife Sharmila Thakeray.
The case comes in the backdrop of an income tax investigation carried out late last year. The custodian has now claimed that this amount should be attached as it had not been disclosed to them following Sheth being declared a notified party. According to sources, the I-T probe accused Pallav of lending out this money through five companies.
``We have learnt about this following the income tax investigation. Whatever be the I-T investigations, the disclosures should have been made to us, so that it could have been attached as part of the notified party's assets."
We now await the court's decision,'' a source at the office of the custodian (Special Court) said. The case is set to come up for hearing next week, sources said. On initial hearing, the lawyers for Pallav had sought more time to reply to the issues raised by the custodian. According to the investigations, Pallav is alleged to have lent out the sum through five companies - Anshug Plastics, M/s Magan Hotels, Clair Chemicals, Mallika Foods and Jaynam Securities. According to the information available through investigations, Sheth is claimed to have made decent profits through the operations of these five companies. It is claimed that he siphoned off some amounts through a havala operator (who functioned through his own front companies). These front companies were learnt to have shown losses.
The name of Raj Thakeray appears as No 31 in the list of persons to whom money was lent out, it is alleged. According to sources, an amount of Rs 25 lakh had been lent out to him and his wife through the company, Jaynam Securities. The name of Marathi theatre personality and Raj's father-in-law Mohan Wagh also appears in the list. There is little clarity regarding what these funds were lent out for to these parties and how they were utilised, sources said. Efforts to contact Raj Thackeray were in vain.
