The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted searches at multiple premises in Maharashtra as part of a money laundering investigation against NCP MLA Hasan Mushrif and others, officials said.

The raids are understood to be linked to a probe related to alleged irregularities in the operations of some sugar mills based in the state that are linked to Mushrif.

Premises located in Mumbai, Pune and Kolhapur are being covered by the ED officials since around 6:30 am, they said.

Mushrif, 68, is a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA from Kagal constituency in Kolhapur. He is also the vice president of the political party, headed by former chief minister and Union minister Sharad Pawar, in Maharashtra. Mushrif posted an Instagram video message asking his supporters not to obstruct the action that he said are being carried out at the premises of his relatives, daughter and some cooperative sugar mills.

He said he was not aware about the case for which the ED action was being undertaken.

He later spoke to reporters saying the Income Tax department had carried out raids against him in 2019 that led to two allegations against him -- one about the ownership and links to some companies and the other related to benami assets.

He claimed that in both the cases the courts have "stayed" the proceedings. The Supreme Court had last year ruled that the anti-benami transactions law cannot be applied retrospectively. The Union government has recently recently filed a review petition against this order.

BJP leader Kirit Somiaya had in 2021 alleged that the former rural development minister (Mushrif) indulged in corrupt practices by holding 'benami' entities through his family members and companies.

The NCP had then dismissed these charges.