Bizman flies abroad a day ahead of LOC

Vinay Dalvi

MUMBAI: South Mumbai businessman and bar owner Jitendra Navlani, against whom the Maharashtra Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) registered a case for allegedly posing as a close aide of Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials and accepting bribes worth ₹59 crores on May 5, left the country just a day before the Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued by ACB.

Sources in ACB, as well as Mumbai’s crime branch, which is carrying out an i nquiry against Navlani, have confirmed the development. The officials said they are yet to confirm the information, but prima-facie have learnt that Navlani has left for London.

“We are ascertaining the facts with various agencies and coordinating with them,” said Prabhat Kumar, Additional Director General of police, ACB.

Sources said that they have learnt that Navlani left the country between the nights of May 5 and 6 and LOC against him was issued on May 7.

“While the ACB registered the case against Navlani and was in the process of issuing a LOC against him, we learnt that he left the country for London. The agency had also informed him about the case. However, he was not available for any further investigation,” said sources in the ACB.

The unavailability of Navlani is likely to hit the investigators who will now have to depend on technical details to further carry out the probe.

The officers said that from 2015 to 2021, Navlani, a resident of Colaba, has collected ₹58.96 crore in the name of Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials.

“Navlani has allegedly accepted the money through his companies or shell companies/ briefcase companies. Now, we are inquiring if any ED officer is involved and whether the money has been passed further. Prima-facie looks like he has taken the money promising to help people/businessmen in cases which are investigated by ED. We are inquiring if the work was indeed done or not,” said an ACB official.

Navlani has been booked under section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (taking gratification, in order, by corrupt or illegal means, to influence public servant).

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had alleged on March 8 that Navlani, along with three other officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), was running an ‘extortion racket’ targeting businessmen from the state and offering them ‘protection from ED inquiries’ in exchange of money.

FIR WAS FILED AGAINST NAVLANI FOR ALLEGEDLY STOPPING A COP FROM ENTERING HIS BAR ‘DIRTY BUNS SOBO’, WHILE IT HAD VIOLATED CERTAIN WORKING HOUR NORMS