Ahmedabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at over 23 locations across poll-bound Maharashtra and neighboring Gujarat on Thursday, as part of a money-laundering investigation into a Malegaon-based trader accused of exploiting bank accounts for electoral fraud.

The searches targeted properties associated with accused Siraj Ahmed Harun Memon and his shell companies in Thane, Vashi, Malegaon, and Nashik in Maharashtra, as well as Surat and Ahmedabad in Gujarat, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The case involves the laundering of ₹125 crore.

The investigation centers on Siraj Ahmed Harun Memon, a trader who owns a tea and cold drink agency, and who allegedly opened several bank accounts in Malegaon to facilitate electoral malpractices. The ED’s action follows a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Malegaon police on November 7, based on a complaint from local resident Jayesh Misal and 11 others. Memon was subsequently booked and arrested.

The complainant reported the unauthorized use of his bank account for illegal transactions, raising concerns about potential election fund routing.

The FIR states that Misal and others were persuaded by Memon to open bank accounts for agricultural purposes, with promises of employment at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee. However, Misal later learned that large sums of money were deposited into his account and transferred elsewhere. The group approached the bank, but staff allegedly refused to assist them, leading them to report the issue to the police.

It is reported that over a dozen bank accounts were opened in the last two months, and the ED’s investigation revealed transactions totaling ₹125 crore. The agency suspects that Memon may have been using these accounts for illicit money transfers, potentially for electoral purposes. DeshGujarat