BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena on Friday lodged a complaint with the Enforcement Directorate asserting that Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was allegedly using certain business schemes to launder his undisclosed funds. In response to the complaint, Gehlot stated: "Whenever elections are about to place in a state, ED is sent there. In the states where the opposition parties are in power, ED is also sent there. ED is working under pressure which is not right. We do not have an issue with ED or CBI, but they should not work under any pressure," news agency ANI reported.
The complaint against Vaibhav Gehlot, who is the son of the Chief Minister, along with a person who is reportedly in business with him, seeks legal action be taken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), PTI reported.
The complaint implicates a number of people, including the spouse of Vaibhav Gehlot. The Rajya Sabha member claims that a shell company based in Mauritius is engaged in money laundering.
The Member of Parliament arrived at the central agency's office in the company of a small group of supporters and submitted a 10-page complaint to a joint director at the ED.
According to the complaint, Vaibhav Gehlot, who serves as both the president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association and has connections with a businessman running businesses throughout the country, is allegedly utilizing funds obtained through unlawful means from Ashok Gehlot.
Meena has identified two hotel enterprises that she suspects are involved in the alleged scheme of money laundering.
The leader of BJP suggested that the allegations stated in the complaint must undergo a thorough and impartial inquiry by the ED.
Vaibhav Gehlot and his associates were accused of engaging in tax avoidance and dubious transactions known as "benami," according to his claims.
During a press briefing yesterday, Meena asserted that the investigation will disclose the fact that the CM is the wealthiest politician in the nation.
On Thursday, Meena asserted that the son of the Chief Minister had utilized a Mauritius-based illegal entity to invest Rs 96. 75 crore in a hospitality organization operating a hotel in Jaipur. He alleged that the Gehlot family is using a shell company to convert their illegally acquired funds into legal ones through money laundering.
According to Meena's statement to the press, both the Mauritius company and the hospitality firm were established in 2007.
During his previous tenure as chief minister, the Congress leader allegedly obtained the authorization for constructing the Jaipur hotel from the Jaipur Development Authority back in 2009.
He claimed that there were inconsistencies in the authorization given for hotel construction in Udaipur and Mount Abu and stated that these establishments were owned by individuals with close ties to Gehlot.
Meena asserted that a shell company received an investment of Rs 100 crore from a doctor who is based in London and is an NRI known to have a close association with the CM.