Mumbai, Jan 9 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) swooped down on seven residential and official premises linked to Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA, Ravindra Waikar, a former state minister, in connection with an alleged money laundering case, here on Tuesday morning.

A team of around ten ED sleuths descended at various locations in Jogeshwari for the alleged irregularities pertaining to the construction of a deluxe hotel in the same suburb, including the famed Matoshree Club.

The ED case arose out of a Mumbai Police FIR accusing the MLA of allegedly getting illegal approvals for building a five-star hotel on a plot reserved for a garden which caused a huge loss to the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation.

Waikar, 64, a prominent leader of Shiv Sena (UBT) led by ex-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, has been a five-time municipal corporator, a three-term MLA and was a minister in the state government (2014-2019).