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NEW DELHI: Accusing Trinamool Congress spokesperson Saket Gokhale of laundering money collected through crowd-funding for creation of personal assets, the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday arrested him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. He was arrested from judicial custody in Ahmedabad and a special court remanded him in ED custody till January 31.
Sources said ED has found that Gokhale invested over Rs 50 lakh which he had collected for public activism, in mutual funds and refused to divulge the actual source of another Rs 24 lakh received in cash.
He claimed that Rs 23.5 lakh cash deposited in his bank accounts was “given to him by Alankar Sawai of Congress for social media work and other consultancy”, ED has alleged.
“There was no element of forgery in funds collected by Gokhale through an online platform which is used by even political parties. He is a full-time activist sustaining on donations received through crowd-funding. As soon as he joined TMC, he stopped accepting funds to prove his bona fide,” PTI quoted Gokhale’s lawyer as saying.
Sources said Gokhale had collected over Rs 1 crore through crowd-funding to launch a campaign against political leaders. However, he had diverted this money to creation of personal assets and spending Rs 4 lakh on liquor consumption as revealed from his financial transactions.
Sources said ED has found that Gokhale invested over Rs 50 lakh which he had collected for public activism, in mutual funds and refused to divulge the actual source of another Rs 24 lakh received in cash.
He claimed that Rs 23.5 lakh cash deposited in his bank accounts was “given to him by Alankar Sawai of Congress for social media work and other consultancy”, ED has alleged.
“There was no element of forgery in funds collected by Gokhale through an online platform which is used by even political parties. He is a full-time activist sustaining on donations received through crowd-funding. As soon as he joined TMC, he stopped accepting funds to prove his bona fide,” PTI quoted Gokhale’s lawyer as saying.
Sources said Gokhale had collected over Rs 1 crore through crowd-funding to launch a campaign against political leaders. However, he had diverted this money to creation of personal assets and spending Rs 4 lakh on liquor consumption as revealed from his financial transactions.
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