Mumbai: The special PMLA court, while accepting Enforcement Directorate (ED)’s prosecution complaint against Nagpur-based lawyer Satish Uke and his brother Pradeep, said that there is prima facie evidence against Satish for having laundered money to the tune of ₹36.60 crore, while his brother Pradeep knowingly assisted him.
Advocate Satish Uke had filed several cases against BJP leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, including one for filing a false election affidavit.
Last week, the ED filed a prosecution complaint against the Uke brothers before the special PMLA court. The agency claimed that Uke laundered money earned through the acquisition of immovable properties.
The special PMLA judge on Thursday took cognizance of the complaint and issued proceedings against the two brothers who were arrested by ED on March 31, this year.
The court noted that Satish was the key person and mastermind, while Pradeep, his elder brother knowingly assisted him and directly or indirectly dealt with the proceeds of crime for laundering money.
“Satish through his firm M/s Mahapushpa Creations conspired with various other persons, including accused No.2 Pradeep to illegally grab the plots/land of various genuine owners as well as the land of Nagpur Improvement Trust. This criminal act was done by creating fake, forged, and fictitious documents like fake power of attorney of original of legal land owners with a clear intention to usurp and grab the land by illegal means and thereby generated proceeds of crime,” the court said in its order, while taking cognizance of the prosecution complaint filed by ED.
ED’s case against Uke brothers was registered on February 17, based on two FIRs against them at Ajni police station in Nagpur.
One of the cases was registered on January 23, 2022, based on a complaint lodged by one Mohammad Jaffar, nephew of late Mohammed Samad, who alleged that the Uke brothers had usurped their 5-acre land at Bokhara in Nagpur by creating fake documents. The second FIR registered on July 31, 2018, is based on a complaint lodged by one Shobharani Nalode, secretary of Aishwari Sahakari Grih Nirman Sanstha, alleging that the Uke brothers had usurped the society’s 1.5-acre land at Babulkheda in Nagpur.
