Forced to buy MF Hussain painting from Priyanka Gandhi for Rs 2 cr: Rana Kapoor in ED chargesheet

Yes Bank co-founder Rana Kapoor has told the Enforcement Directorate that he was “forced” to buy a painting of MF Hussain from Congress’ Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the proceeds of the sale were used by the Gandhi family for Congress President Sonia Gandhi. for medical treatment. New York, according to a chargesheet filed by the federal Anti-Money Laundering Agency in a special court.

Kapoor also told the ED that he was told by the then Petroleum Minister Murli Deora that refusing to buy MF Hussain’s painting would not only prevent him from having ties with the Gandhi family but also from getting the ‘Padma Bhushan’ award. Can be stopped. ,

Rana Kapoor’s statements are part of the second supplementary chargesheet (third overall) filed recently in a special court here against the Yes Bank co-founder, his family, Dewan Housing Finance Ltd (DHFL) promoters Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan and others. . money laundering case.

Stating that he had paid a check of Rs 2 crore, Kapoor claimed that “Milind Deora (late Murli Deora’s son and former Congress MP) later told him confidentially that the proceeds of the sale would be used by Gandhi. family for medical treatment. Sonia Gandhi in New York”.

Read also: Yes Bank’s Rana Kapoor, DHFL’s Wadhawans laundered Rs 5,050 crore: ED

Kapoor also told the ED that Ahmed Patel, a close aide of Sonia Gandhi, had told him that by helping the Gandhi family at the right time for the treatment of Sonia Gandhi, I have done a good job for the (Kapoor) family and it was duly ‘Padma Bhushan’. ‘ will be considered for the award.

Murli Deora tried to convince Rana Kapoor that even his refusal to buy the painting would never allow him to have a relationship with the Gandhi family.

It will also prevent him from receiving the ‘Padma Bhushan Award’, according to the chargesheet.

The late Deora had told Kapoor over dinner that failure to buy the painting could have “adverse repercussions” on him and Yes Bank, Kapoor claimed in his statement to the ED.

The banker is currently in judicial custody since his arrest in the case in March 2020.

In the charge sheet, Kapoor said about the painting allegedly bought from Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, “First of all I would like to state that it was a forced sale which I was never ready for.”

Milind Deora had made several visits to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s (Rana Kapoor’s) home and office to persuade her to buy MF Hussain paintings.

“They also made me many calls and messages from many mobile numbers in this regard. In fact, I was very reluctant to go for this deal and I tried to avoid this deal by ignoring their calls/messages many times There were more personal meetings,” Kapoor told the ED as per the chargesheet.

“Despite my best efforts to avoid the deal, they were exceptionally persistent in finalizing the deal expeditiously,” Kapoor claimed.

He further added that later, in the year 2010, Murli Deora forced her to meet him for a vegetarian dinner (Marwari dinner) at his Lodhi Estate bungalow in New Delhi.

According to the charge sheet, Kapoor said that he was the petroleum minister at that time and the bungalow was allotted to him in that capacity.

Kapoor said, “During the meeting, the late Murli Deora told me in no uncertain terms that any further delay in purchasing the above painting may adversely affect me and my Yes Bank and may endanger my relationship with the Deora family. can put in.” ,

“At the same time, he tried to convince me that it would never allow me to have any connection with the Gandhi family,” the banker said.

Further, in the statement, Kapoor claimed, “He (Murali Deora) also told me that any deviation on my part for lack of closing the deal would certainly prevent me from being awarded the ‘Padma Bhushan’ , according to which, to him, I was very deserving at that time”.

“Under this threat and against the wishes of my family, since we are not high-value art collectors, I could not invite animosity of any kind with the two powerful families involved and thus I had to join and hang. Seeing the danger, Kapoor had to proceed with hesitation.According to the chargesheet, Kapoor told the ED.

Kapoor told the ED that the formalities to close the deal were conducted at Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s office.

He said, “Milind Deora had actively coordinated this final closing meeting. I would like to state that for this deal, I had paid Rs 2 crore through a check from my personal account in HSBC Bank. “

Kapoor said that weeks after the deal, Milind Deora told him confidentially that the proceeds from the sale were used by the Gandhi family for the treatment of Sonia Gandhi in New York.

“After a few months, when I was visiting the residence of (late) Ahmed Patel, a close aide of (late) Sonia Gandhi, I was independently informed by him that Gandhi was at an opportune time for Sonia’s medical treatment. By supporting the family. Gandhi I had done a good deed for the family and it will be duly considered for ‘Padma Bhushan’ for me.”

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan, promoters of Rana Kapoor and Dewan Housing Finance Ltd (DHFL), had diverted funds worth Rs 5,050 crore through suspicious transactions.

The chargesheet states that the ED started its investigation after registering the ECIR on March 3, 2020 and after the initiation of the investigation, Rana Kapoor aggressively disposed of his foreign assets to avoid attachment by the ED under PMLA. Tried to deal with it.

The POC involved in this case is Rs 5,050 crore. While Rana Kapoor is the founder of the said company DUVPL, his three daughters are 100% shareholders in it.

Rana Kapoor is currently in judicial custody after his arrest in the case in March 2020. Wadhawan is also in jail custody after his arrest in another case.

Read also: Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor gets bail in alleged fraud case of Rs 300 crore

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