Sonia Gandhi’s Aide Ahmed Patel, His Son And Son-In-Law Under ED Focus In Money Laundering Case: Report

A corporate executive employed by the Sandesara Group, being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection to a money laundering case, has named Sonia Gandhi’s closest aide and Congress leader Ahmed Patel, his son, Faisal Patel, and his son-in-law, Irfan Siddiqui, bringing the three under the focus of the agency, a report in The Economic Times says.

According to the report, Sunil Yadav, the corporate executive being questioned by ED, has said in a written statement that owner the of Sandesara Group and his associate had handed "huge amounts of cash" to Patel’s son-in-law Siddiqui. Yadav has also noted that noted that the owner of the group frequently visited Patel's residence, often described as 'Headquarters 23'.

Sandesara group owner "used to take huge amount of cash with them for handing over to Sh Irfan Ahmed Siddiqui. The cash amount involved used to range from 15 lakh rupees to 25 lakh rupees, and was obtained from the old Delhi office, some cash was brought by Sh Chetan Sandesara from Vadodra to Delhi," Yadav has told ED.

He has also alleged that property in Delhi’s Vasant Vihar, "purchased by Sandesara" group, was "occupied” by Patel’s son-in-law Siddiqui. "I do not know whether any rent was paid by Sh Irfan Siddiqui", Yadav told ED.

On Patel’s son, Yadav says he was asked by the group’s owner to “deliver Rs 5 lakh to J1 that is Faisal Patel, in Khan market Delhi...I contacted Sh Rakesh (driver of Faisal Patel) and delivered 5 lakh to him and informed him that amount was sent from Chetan Sandesara (Sandesara group owner)".

“Faisal Patel had visited G6 Pushpanjali farms, to stay overnight and party with his friends, the expenses ( Rs 10 lakh) were looked after by me as per instructions of Sh Chetan Sandesara," Yadav said in his statement.

Although no clarification has been issued by the Congress, party leaders speaking to the daily off the record, said the statement "has been recorded under coercion" and that "it is vendetta politics and political witch-hunt and attempt to malign Patel's family”. ED has denied these allegations, the daily said.