Anil Bastawade's rise in fortunes 'shocked' relatives

Held in Koda scam, he is a native of Sangli settled in Pune

The surge in financial fortunes of Pune-based businessman Anil Adinath Bastawade deported to India from Indonesia on Tuesday in connection with the alleged multi-crore moneylaundering scam involving former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda had come as a surprise and shock to relatives in Sangli, his native place.

Bastawade's family members in Pune, when contacted on Wednesday, refused to comment.

Bastawade, known to be a close aide of Koda, was detained in Jakarta by Indonesian authorities on January 21 acting on an Interpol notice issued on the request of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

ED officials on Wednesday produced him in a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Jharkhand capital Ranchi. Special judge (PMLA) R K Choudhary remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days. Among the others arrested in the scam, besides Koda, are aides Binod Sinha, Vikas Sinha, Manoj Punamia, Arvind Vyas and Vijay Joshi.

Koda, now in judicial custody, was arrested on November 30, 2009 after the Income Tax and ED departments claimed to have unearthed a Rs 2,500-crore moneylaundering and illegal investment scam following countrywide raids on October 31 the same year.

Two others arrested earlier, Harinarayan Rai and Enos Ekka, who were ministers when Koda was CM, are now out on bail.

An ED official said investigations so far reveal that the scam, which allegedly took place during the Koda regime between 2006 and 2008, has swollen to Rs 3,400 crore.

"This excludes Bastawade's assets," the official added. As per the chargesheet filed last year, Bastawade is alleged to have purchased assets to the tune of Rs 250 crore in UAE from money generated from illegal activities during Koda's regime.

Basatwade was reportedly born in Sangli district on August 27, 1964. "The Bastawades left the village about 60 years ago and settled in Pune," said a relative at his native village Bhose in Sangli.

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