The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) said on Monday that it had attached land worth Rs 4 crore to Pune as part of a money laundering investigation against the businessman of the town Avinash Bhosale.

The ED is investigating Bhosale on the basis of an FIR recorded by the Pune police.

The FIR alleged that the land located at Yashwant Ghadge Nagar Cooperative Housing Society in Maharashtra’s Pune was transferred by Ranjit Mohite to ARA Properties in violation of the original allotment conditions existing at that time, according to which the land was not could have been transferred only to government mandated officers, being a primary condition at the time of the allocation of these lands by the government in 1951.

The official said that during the investigation, search and seizure operations were carried out in various locations and prosecution documents were seized. The documents found during the search corroborated the allegations made in the FIR.

The ED, in a statement, said the adjoining land is owned by Anamrita Properties Ltd (ARA Properties), where the offices of Avinash Bhosale Infrastructure Ltd (ABIL) are located. Bhosale is the promoter of the ABIL group of companies.

“The adjoining property is the land where the headquarters of ABIL (Avinash Bhosale Infrastructure Ltd) and other group companies are located,” the agency said in a statement.

“Avinash Bhosale is the promoter of ABIL group companies,” he added.

The land is located at plot no. 2, Yashwant Ghadge Nagar Housing Co-operative Society, Range Hill Corner on Ganeshkhind Road in Pune.

The agency issued an interim order for the seizure of the land under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED money laundering case against Bhosale is based on a FIR from the city police where it was alleged that the land “was transferred by Ranjit Mohite to ARA Properties in violation of the original attribution terms existing at that time “.

“The land could only have been transferred to the government or to commissioned officers, being a primary condition when the land was allocated by the government in 1951,” he said.

The statement said that raids were previously carried out by the agency in the case at various locations, as a result of which “incriminating documents were seized”.

“The documents found during the search corroborated the allegations made in the FIR,” said the ED.

Bhosale was interviewed by the ED in this case earlier.

In June, the ED seized assets worth over Rs 40 crore, including stock and preferred stock in three luxury hotels, Bhosale and members of his family as part of a separate investigation related to an alleged violation of forex law.

(With entries from PTI, IANS)