Raipur, Nov 28
In a major breakthrough, Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached properties to the tune of around Rs 27.86 crore of former IAS officer Babulal Agrawal in connection with the case of criminal misconduct and cheating by public servant.
The action was carried out under section of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).
The attached assets include plant and machinery, balances in bank accounts and immovable properties belonging to Agrawal and his family members.
ED initiated investigation under PLMA on the basis of FIR registered by ACB Chhattisgarh under Section 13(2) and 13(1)(e) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 which discloses the disproportionate assets amassed by Agrawal and his family members, pursuant to search action conducted by Income Tax Department in February 2010 at the premises of Agrawal, his CA Sunil Agrawal and his family members. Further 3 more FIRs were registered followed by Charge sheets by CBI against Agrawal and others.
Investigation under PMLA revealed that Agrawal in connivance with his CA Sunil Agrawal and his brother Ashok Agrawal and Pawan Agrawal, opened over 400 bank accounts in the name of gullible villagers of Kharora, and its nearby villages. Cash was deposited in these bank accounts and several other accounts. 13 shell companies owned and operated by CA Sunil Agrawal, 26 Delhi and Kolkata based other shell companies as well as their sister concerns of M/s 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 M/s Prime Ispat limited (PIL).
Besides, ED had already attached properties of M/s PIL to the tune of Rs 35.49 crore in the year 2017. Now remaining plant and machinery to the tune of around Rs 26.16 crore has been attached. In addition to it balance if Rs 20.43 lakhs lying in 291 bank accounts, a residential plot of Rs 39.52 lakh in the name of Ms Xpress Mining Private Limited (An entity owned and operated by family members of Agrawal), Rs 15 lakh recovered during Income Tax search, balance of Rs 4.75 lakh in the bank account of M/s Capstone, a residential plot of Rs 10.25 lakh in the name of M/s Shri Ram Vihar (both partnership firms owned and operated by family members of Agrawal), cash of Rs 39.81 lakh and 2 kg gold recovered by CBI have been attached under PMLA.
The accused Agrawal was arrested by ED on November 9 this year and he is in judicial custody till December 5, said officials, elaborating that further probe in the case is underway.
