ED books close aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader in disproportionate assets case

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a money laundering case against Dinesh Bhobhate, a senior assistant at a public sector insurance company and a close aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Rajya Sabha member Anil Desai, and his wife for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets worth ₹2.58 crore.
According to the ED, their assent exceeded 36 per cent more than their known sources of income.
The ED’s case is based on a case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Bhobhate and his wife on January 17.
It has been alleged that Bhobhate, while working with the New India Assurance Company Limited’s Mumbai office as an assistant, and later as a senior assistant, amassed disproportionate assets of around ₹2.58 crore between April 1, 2014, to July 11, 2023.
According to the CBI’s first information report, assets were acquired by the accused under his and his wife’s name. The accused could not satisfactorily account for the acquisition of such assets under the scrutiny of the agency, with reference to his known sources of income, said the agency.
As part of its probe, the CBI scrutinised the details of income, expenditure, and movable and immovable assets of Bhobhate and his wife during which the agency found potential financial irregularities in the bank accounts, several fixed deposits, mutual fund investments, and funds received in the name of financial help.
“The facts prima facie disclose that the accused has indulged in corrupt practices by abusing his official position as a public servant and is in possession of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income to the tune of ₹2.58 crore, in his name and the name of his wife”, an official aware of the matter said.
The CBI’s probe revealed that the accused persons’ assets at the beginning of the check period ( between April 1, 2014, to July 11, 2023) were allegedly around ₹1.20 lakh, while they were worth around ₹4.26 crore at the end of the check period.
Their income during the check period was approximately ₹7.10 crore, expenditure around ₹5.43 crore, acquired assets worth around ₹4.25 crore, while their savings were approximately ₹1.67 crore, it said.