Transaction between Yashwant Jadhav & bizman under I-T lens

The department is also reportedly investigating Rs 30-crore contracts, including a khichdi making contract that was awarded by the BMC to companies owned by Agarwal during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020-21, though the companies did not have any prior experience in executing such contracts.

The department has allegedly found that a Kolkata-based shell company, Pradhan Dealers Private Limited, had given unsecured loans of Rs 15 crore to Jadhav’s family members, including his wife, in 2019-2020.

Following an income-tax probe into an unsecured loan of Rs 1 crore availed by Jadhav’s wife Yamini Jadhav – also a MLA from Byculla – from Pradhan Dealers, Jadhav’s family in 2020-21 returned Rs 15 crore to Pradhan Dealers.

Sources said the same year, Pradhan Dealers rerouted Rs 15 crore to Mumbai-based Newshawk Multimedia Private Limited, owned by Agarwal. Of the Rs 15 crore, Newshawk used Rs 4 crore to buy Bilakhadi Chambers building at Mazgoan in Mumbai, which is also Jadhav’s residence. The remaining Rs 11 crore was allegedly transferred by Newshawk to Jadhav’s mother-in-law.

Bilakhadi Chambers has 108 units, most of which are occupied by tenants. Jadhav allegedly owns four to five such units. However, the tax probe has now found that Newshawk Multimedia owns at least 31 units at Bilakhadi Chambers. This, after a number of tenants surrendered their tenancy rights in favor of the company.

Sources said the department has recorded the statements of a few tenants who alleged they received Rs 30 lakh each in cash to surrender the tenancy rights.

The tax agency, sources said, has also found about 45 benami properties of Jadhav.

Newshawk media, according to records, was set up in 2010 and Agarwal has been a director in the company since its inception. Agarwal was recently in news after he filed a complaint with the Mumbai Police against its former commissioner Param Bir Singh, alleging exortion.

In 2017, Agarwal was arrested by the ED in connection with its money laundering probe against its own officer J P Singh for allegedly collecting protection money from bookies to prevent arrests in the Rs 5,000-crore IPL betting scam. Agarwal was also arrested by the CBI after it booked Singh under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

In 2020, Jadhav was involved in controversy after a purported audio clip of him threatening a contractor to withdraw from projects had gone viral. This January, BJP leaders in BMC had written to move a no-confidence motion against him, alleging that he did not allow members of the Standing Committee to speak on corruption in regard to various projects that had come for approval before the panel.

While Agarwal refused to speak on the matter, Jadhav was not available for a comment despite repeated attempts.