The Enforcement Directorate seized Rs 75 lakhs during searches conducted at 15 locations in Prayagraj (UP) belonging to jailed gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his associates on Wednesday, as reported by the news agency ANI.
The searches were a part of the agency's ongoing money laundering investigation against gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and those linked to him, ANI reported citing sources. Multiple teams of the federal agency carried out these raids in cooperation with the state police force, and the places raided so far include the residential and other premises of Ahmad, his family members and others.
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The raids were conducted at a time when Ahmad was being brought to Prayagraj from the Sabarmati Jail in Gujarat for his production in a local court in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case. He was brought by a team of Uttar Pradesh Police. The case in which Ahmad is facing trial is linked to the murder of Pal and his two police security guards who were shot dead outside his home in Prayagraj's Dhoomanganj area on February 24 this year.
Uttar Pradesh Police had registered a First Information Report (FIR) on February 25 against Ahmad, his brother Ashraf, wife Shaista Parveen, two sons, aides Guddu Muslim and Ghulam, and nine others following a complaint lodged by Pal's wife. In 2021, the ED had attached immovable and movable assets, consisting of land and money in several bank accounts worth Rs 8.14 crore, belonging to mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his wife in connection with the money laundering case.
In 2021, the ED had attached immovable and movable assets, consisting of land and money in several bank accounts worth Rs 8.14 crore, belonging to Atiq Ahmad and his wife in connection with the money laundering case.
Land property situated at mauza Katka, Paragana Jhunsi, Tehsil Phulpur, in the name of Shaista Parveen, wife of Ahmad was attached. This was acquired by Ahmad for only Rs 4.5 crore which is far below the government's value of Rs 6.86 crore, as reported by ANI. The ED had also attached a bank account balance of Rs 1.28 crore lying in 10 bank accounts of Ahmad and one account of Shaista Parveen.
The ED initiated an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after taking cognizance of several FIRs lodged against Ahmad in different police stations, related to murder, extortion, cheating, forgery, land grabbing and crimes of similar nature.