Bhopal, Oct 1 (IANS) The Directorate of Enforcement’s (ED) Bhopal Zonal Office has provisionally attached immovable properties worth approximately Rs 1.64 crore belonging to Mahendra Pratap Singh, a former Assistant in the Madhya Pradesh government, and his wife Reeta Singh under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, an agency press release said.
The action follows an investigation initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Bhopal, under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended) against Mahendra Pratap Singh for possession of disproportionate assets.
After investigation, the EOW, Bhopal, filed a final report/charge sheet under Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code and various sections of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 before the Special Court in Rewa, it said.
The ED’s probe revealed that during the check period from February 13, 1995 to September 9, 2020, Mahendra Pratap Singh acquired assets worth about Rs 1.64 crore, which constituted nearly 191.11 per cent of his known sources of income.
The proceeds of crime generated through alleged illicit enrichment while holding a public office were used for the acquisition of movable and immovable properties. These included insurance policies, vehicles, land parcels and the construction of a school building, among other assets.
As the accused failed to satisfactorily substantiate the sources of income for these acquisitions, the ED, accordingly, provisionally attached assets valued at approximately Rs 1.64 crore under Section 5(1) of the PMLA, 2002.
The attached properties include a land parcel and a school building located at Rewa, which have been identified as proceeds of crime. Officials said that the attachment has been effected to prevent the dissipation of the alleged proceeds of crime. The investigation under the PMLA is continuing to examine the full trail of funds and any other related aspects. Further legal proceedings will follow as per the provisions of the law.
–IANS
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