The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested former Maharashtra MLA Vivekanand S Patil in a money laundering case linked to an alleged fraud of over Rs 512 crore in a Panvel-located cooperative bank, officials said on Wednesday. They said Patil, 66, was arrested by the central probe agency around 8:15 PM on Tuesday after his questioning at the ED office in Ballard Estate area here.

The ex-MLA from the Peasants and Workers Party was arrested under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and is expected to be produced before a local court for further custody, they said. The ED money laundering case is based on an FIR registered against him and about 75 others in February last year by the economic offences wing (EOW) of the Navi Mumbai police that alleged irregularities to the tune of Rs 512.54 crore in the Karnala Nagari Sahakari (cooperative) Bank that is headquartered in Panvel in the neighbouring Raigad district.