The Enforcement Directorate has provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 152 crore belonging to three-time MLA Vivek alias Vivekanad Shankar Patil and his relatives in connection with a bank fraud case related to Karnala Nagari Sahakari Bank Ltd, Panvel.Patil belongs to Shetkari Kamgar Paksha Party and he is an ex-chairman of Karnala Nagari Sahakari Bank Ltd. Panvel.
The ED initiated the investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police in 2019. The fraud came to light after an audit was done at the instance of the Reserve Bank in 2019-20, when it was revealed that Patil was siphoning off funds from the bank through 63 fictitious loan accounts to the loan accounts of Karnala Charitable Trust and Karnala Sports Academy, which were founded and controlled by Vivekanand Patil.
The agency said that its probe found that the defrauded amount was to the tune of Rs 560 crore in respect of 63 fictitious loan accounts."To hide the siphoning, the available funds were routed to these fictitious accounts and from these accounts to the several bank accounts of entities founded or controlled by Patil. These funds were utilised by Karnala Charitable Trust, Karnala Sports Academy etc. for the construction of properties such as Sports Complex, College and Schools and for other personal gains, thereby using the proceeds of crime and projecting the same as un-tainted," the ED said.Patil was arrested by the ED on June 15, 2021, and at present, he is under judicial custody. A charge sheet was filed against him and the bank in August 2021.In August, ED attached immovable properties worth Rs 234 crore linked to Patil, and his family members. The agency has so far attached assets having a book value of Rs 386 crore.