ED Arrests Retired IAS Officer For Money Laundering In Disproportionate Assets Case In Uttarakhand

The ED has arrested a retired IAS officer who was the Additional Secretary to the Uttarakhand Government at the time, in connection with an ongoing probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Saturday (May 20) that a retired IAS officer who served as an additional secretary in the Uttarakhand government had been arrested as part of a money laundering investigation related to the alleged possession of disproportionate assets, the agency said in a statement. 

Ram Bilas Yadav was arrested on Friday under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), according to the federal agency. The money laundering investigation stems from a previous vigilance establishment FIR filed against Yadav for alleged possession of assets disproportionate to known sources of his income.

According to the ED, Yadav earned Rs 78,51,777 through his known sources of income during the cheque period (January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2016), while his expenses totaled Rs 21.40 crore.

"Therefore, he has been accused of amassing disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 20.61 crore which is 2,626 per cent more than his known sources of legal income," the statement said.

According to the ED, Yadav purchased many lands and a flat, built a house in Lucknow, established a school, and established a trust in his and his family members' names by using funds earned in "illegal" ways and "misusing" his position as a government servant in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Further investigation into the matter is underway.

Earlier on Friday, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) filed a case against Balbir Kumar Virdi, joint director of the GST and excise department, for amassing assets in excess of his known sources of income. According to a VB spokesperson, Virdi, a resident of Lamba Pind, Jalandhar, spent a total of 5.12 crore, while his actual income from all sources was 2.08 crore between April 1, 2007, and September 11, 2020.

The Prevention of Corruption Act, of 1988 is the main legislation that deals with cases of disproportionate assets. It makes the act of a public servant amassing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income illegal. As per the law, if the public servant is discovered to have assets that are disproportionate to their income, they can be charged with corruption under this law. The prosecution bears the burden of proving the disproportionate assets, and if convicted, the public servant may face imprisonment and a fine.