All roads leading to the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) South Mumbai office in the Ballard Estate have been barricaded ahead of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s questioning by in connection with the Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) money laundering case.
The police are checking vehicles and their purpose before allowing them to enter in the vicinity of the ED’s office.
Daily life has largely remained unaffected as local train services were running smoothly and rickshaws and taxis were plying on the roads.
The Mumbai police have detained few prominent activists of MNS as a precautionary measure. A large number of police personnel have been deployed in the city and neighbouring Thane as well to ensure that there is no law and order problem.
Thackeray is expected to reach the ED office by 11.30 am where he is likely to be questioned for the day. MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar arrived at Thackeray’s residence at Shivaji Park on Thursday morning.
The Mumbai police on Wednesday issued prohibitory notices, asking party workers to refrain from unlawful assembly that would hamper the law and order in the city.
The notices, under Section 149 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), warned MNS activists of legal action if they failed to comply. “The notices will be used as evidence against you,” read one of the notices issued by the Dadar police station to an activist.
Dadar, where Thackeray lives and the under-construction Kohinoor square, which is at the centre of the controversy, will see a thick security blanket. “We have received information that your party workers and you will assemble and may create law and order problems. We cannot rule out the possibility of a cognizable offence or a serious crime and hence you have been warned,” it states.
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