Mumbai, Jun 11 (PTI) A special PMLA court in Mumbai has said lawyer Satish Uke, prima facie, was the "key person" and "mastermind" in the money laundering case registered against him and his brother by the Enforcement Directorate.

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Special Judge MG Deshpande made this observation while taking cognizance of the charge sheet filed against Satish and his brother Pradeep Uke. The judge's order was made available on Saturday.

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The case against the Uke brothers is related to the purchase of a 1.5 acre plot in Nagpur, allegedly on the basis of forged documents. The ED's case is based on two First Information Reports registered against the brothers for alleged fraud and cheating at Ajni police station in Nagpur.

The court, after perusal of charge sheet and documents placed on record, said, prima facie, it appears proceeds of crime of Rs 36.60 crore were generated by way of offences registered under these FIRs, adding both accused played an important role in generating proceeds of crime as defined under PMLA provisions.

The court further noted that documents and digital evidence seized during the search of their places revealed the properties were derived from proceeds of crime.

Careful examination of statements recorded under the provisions of PMLA, prima facie, indicate how proceeds of crime were placed, layered and integrated by way of acquisition of immovable properties by the applicants, the court said.

"The role of accused Satish Uke indicates he was key person and mastermind who directly by himself and through his firm, Mahapushpa Creations, conspired with various other persons, including accused number 2 (Pradeep), to illegally grab plots/land of various genuine owners as well as the land of Nagpur Improvement Trust," the court said.

This criminal act was done by creating fake, forged and fictitious documents like fake power of attorney of legal land owners with a clear intention to usurp and grab land by illegal means and proceeds of crime of Rs 36.60 crore were laundered, it said.

Uke, incidentally, has filed several petitions in courts against BJP leaders, including former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

He had also petitioned the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court seeking a police probe into the "suspicious and untimely" death of CBI judge B H Loya, who was presiding over the trial in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh alleged fake encounter case, in 2014.

Uke also represented Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole when the latter filed a defamation suit against IPS officer and former Maharashtra Intelligence Department chief Rashmi Shukla and others for alleged illegal tapping of his phone.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)