ED attaches Rs 10cr assets of Bihar gangster

The ED today said it has attached assets worth Rs 10 crore of a “dreaded” Bihar gangster in connection with a money laundering case against him.

The central probe agency said it has issued a provisional order, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), for attachment of properties of Ashok Yadav, the present ‘mukhiya’ (village head) of Bithan town in Samastipur.

“He used to be the terror of Rosera in Samastipur,” the agency said in a statement.

It said the Bihar Police had registered 26 FIRs against Yadav on charges of murder, attempt to murder, extortion and dealings in illegal arms and explosive among others, based on which, it filed a PMLA case against him.

A house in state capital Patna, 25 plots and bank balance of about Rs 4 lakh has been attached by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as part of the recent order.

“The total value of the attached properties is about Rs 75 lakh which is the value taken on the date of acquisition. The market value of these properties is almost more than Rs 10 crore,” it said.

The agency said its probe found that Yadav “had amassed huge properties in his name and in the name of his family members from the proceeds of crime generated by him.” “To launder the illicit money, he (Yadav) used to deposit huge cash in bank accounts of others from whom he got the cheque issued in the name of his family for equal amounts,” the ED said.

The agency added its investigation showed that Yadav had acquired liquor shops in a “benami” way which were operated in the name of his servants and staff.

As part of a similar action in the state, the agency attached assets worth Rs 15 crore (market value) of a former chief engineer of the irrigation department in Muzaffarpur– Awadesh Prasad Singh.

It said the “acquisition value” of these assets is Rs 1.67 crore.

A two-storey bungalow and two plots in Patna, two plots in Bangalore, five plots in Samastipur and cash and jewellery worth Rs 52.5 lakh have been attached as part of the order, it said.

The ED filed a case under the PMLA against Singh based on a complaint of the Bihar Special Vigilance Unit (SVU).

The agency said Singh had “amassed huge properties in his own name as well as in the name of his family members while being posted and functioning in different capacities and different posts during the period January 1, 1980-December 21, 2007, beyond his known sources of income.

“He was not in a position to satisfactorily account the said resources and properties (that have been attached),” it said.

The ED said some immovable properties were allegedly acquired by Singh in Bangalore in the name of his son.

Courtesy: PTI