New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday said that it has attached properties to the tune of Rs 27 crore of former IAS officer Babulal Agarwal in a cheating case.
The ED said that the properties of Agarwal have been attached under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in cases related to criminal misconduct and cheating by a public servant.
The attached assets include plant and machinery, balances in bank accounts and immovable properties of Agarwal and his family members.
The ED had registered a case of money laundering on the basis of an FIR registered by the anti-corruption branch of Chhattisgarh which disclosed the disproportionate assets amassed by Agrawal and his family members, which were revealed during raids by the Income Tax Department in February 2010 at the premises of the former IAS officer, his chartered accountant Sunil Agrawal and his family members.
The CBI had also registered several cases and filed chargesheet against Agrawal and others.
During the ED probe, it was revealed that Agrawal in connivance with his CA and his brother Ashok Agrawal and Pawan Agrawal opened more than 400 bank accounts in the name of gullible villagers of Kharora, Chattisgarh, and its nearby villages.
“Cash was deposited in these accounts and several other accounts. Thirteen shell companies owned and operated by CA Sunil Agrawal, 26 Delhi and Kolkata based other shell companies as well as the sister concerns of Prime Ispat Limited (a company owned and managed by family members of Agrawal) were used in placement and layering of this cash generated from corrupt means which was finally integrated in the form of share capital including share premium in Prime Ispat Limited (PIL),” the ED said.
ED had already attached the properties of PIL to the tune of Rs 35.49 crore in 2017.
Now the ED has attached the remaining plant and machinery to the tune of Rs 26.16 crore, a balance of Rs 20.43 lakh lying in 291 bank accounts, and a residential plot worth Rs 39.52 lakh in the name of Xpress Mining Pvt. Ltd (an entity owned and operated by the family members of Agrawal), Rs 15 lakh recovered in Income Tax raid, balance of Rs 4.75 lakh in the bank account of Capstone, a residential plot worth Rs 10.25 lakh in the name of Shri Ram Vihar (both partnership firms owned and operated by the family members of Agrawal), cash worth Rs 39.81 lakh and 2 kg gold recovered by the CBI.
The ED had arrested Agrawal on November 9 this year. He has been remanded to judicial custody till December 5.
