ED custody of actor-producer Sachin Joshi extended

A special court here on Thursdayextended the Enforcement Directorate custody of actor-producerSachin Joshi in a money laundering case till February 22.

The ED arrested Joshi, whose family is in the gutkamanufacturing business and who had acted in ''Jackpot'' and fewother films, on February 14 in connection with a case againstcity-based firm Omkar Realtors and Developers.

Joshi was produced before special judge for Preventionof Money Laundering Act cases A A Nandgaonkar after his firstremand ended.

The Central agency sought his further custody,claiming he was not co-operating with the probe.

It wanted to confront him with other accused andinvestigate the utilization of funds received from variouscompanies of Omkar Group, it said.

Joshi had received around Rs 37 crore from variouscompanies of Omkar Group, the ED claimed. This was claimed tobe the money paid to him for his services, but documents suchas invoices/debit notes did not add up, it alleged.

The agency had earlier said it wanted to probe the''diversion'' of about Rs 87 crore, allegedly misappropriatedfrom a slum rehabilitation scheme fund, from Omkar Group toViking Group, a company linked to Joshi.

''Loans availed from Yes Bank were diverted and accused(Sachin Joshi) helped promoters of Omkar Group in diversion ofat least Rs 87 crore,'' the ED had claimed earlier.

Joshi, in his statement recorded by the ED, deniedwrongdoing.

The ED last month arrested Omkar Realtors andDevelopers chairman Kamal Kishore Gupta and its managingdirector Babulal Varma.

The case against them pertains to allegedirregularities in the execution of a Slum RehabilitationAuthority scheme. The duo and the company are also facingallegations of diversion of an over-Rs 400 crore loan from YesBank.