We were only signatory authority of employer: Mittal''s staff

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 7

Lawyer Mukesh Mittal’s driver Lal Chand and Manish Kumar who is the brother of lawyer’s clerk Parveen Kumar, in the statements recorded by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), have stated that they were just the signatory authority of the employer. Their statements were recorded as part of the investigation in the case of money laundering.

Manish Kumar in his eight-page statement to the ED sleuths mentioned that two bank accounts in Allahabad Bank of Sector 8 and Oriental Bank of Sector 19 were opened in his name, but he never operated them.

Sources said in one of the accounts, a transaction of around Rs 7.90 crore was made between 2008 to 2012 and in another account which was operated for a brief period, a transaction of Rs 51 lakh was made in just one month. “Kumar alleged that these accounts were operated by Mittal only and he don’t have any idea about the current balance in the bank accounts”, ED sleuths added.

ED sources said that 92 “bigas” of land was purchased in Manish’s name in Solan near Himachal Pradesh. Manish in his statement claimed that Mittal’s another clerk Ajay Singh had asked him to sign on the registration papers of the land.

Manish claimed that neither he charged any money nor was he paid for getting the land registered in his name.

Manish who was a Class IX passout claimed that he earned around Rs 1.80 lakh annually through agricultural income. According to Manish, he worked at Mittal’s office between 2008 and 2009 only and looked after his hotel near Barog.

Meanwhile, Lal Chand in his statements which were also recorded on camera has alleged that it was Mittal who used to file his Income Tax (IT) returns.

Chand during his questioning held on March 23, 24 and 27, mentioned that he was a Class V passout and didn’t even know how to write English.

Sources in the ED revealed that on being questioned for not appearing before them for questioning despite seven summons sent to him, Chand claimed that Mittal had asked him not to appear before the ED sleuths.

The ED is investigating the case of money laundering registered in 2013, in which the alleged role of lawyer Mukesh Mittal is being probed. Despite repeated attempts Mittal could not be contacted for comments since his mobile phones were switched off.