Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a case of money laundering against former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan and the 13 others named by the CBI as the accused in the Adarsh scam.
The agency told the Bombay High Court on Monday that an enforcement case information report—equivalent of a first information report—has been filed against the 14 accused. Compounding the troubles of the accused, it added that prima facie there exists a case against them under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The Act deals with offences wherein illegal gains have been made from proceeds of crime. In the Adarsh case, the ED is probing the sources of funds used by members to buy flats in the tony Colaba housing society.
ED’s counsel R V Desai informed the court that its investigation into the scam is still in progress. But if it is established that the accused acquired properties by abusing their office, sources told TOI, the ED would attach the assets. Apart from Chavan, the accused in the Adarsh scam also include several senior exservicemen, former Mumbai municipal chief Jairaj Phatak and former state information commissioner Ramanand Tiwari.
Desai initially avoided mentioning the prima facie case under the stringent provisions of PMLA, repeatedly saying that the ED needs more time to investigate and reach conclusions. He admitted its existence only when the bench, headed by Justice Sharad Bobde, said: “You must leave the conclusion to the courts.” The high court was hearing two public interest litigations (PIL), one of which has been filed by Thane resident Pravin Wategaonkar. Wategaonkar wants a probe to find the source of Adarsh members’ funds as well as if there were any benami transactions. The second PIL, filed by activist Simpreet Singh, has demanded “proper action” by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The high court on Monday asked the CBI to file a chargesheet by June 15 against those Adarsh Cooperative Housing society members who do not hold public office. The judges directed the CBI to do so after the investigation agency informed the court that it would complete its probe in the criminal case filed against the 14 named accused Adarsh society members—who held or had held public office-—by mid-June.
The agency told the Bombay High Court on Monday that an enforcement case information report—equivalent of a first information report—has been filed against the 14 accused. Compounding the troubles of the accused, it added that prima facie there exists a case against them under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The Act deals with offences wherein illegal gains have been made from proceeds of crime. In the Adarsh case, the ED is probing the sources of funds used by members to buy flats in the tony Colaba housing society.
ED’s counsel R V Desai informed the court that its investigation into the scam is still in progress. But if it is established that the accused acquired properties by abusing their office, sources told TOI, the ED would attach the assets. Apart from Chavan, the accused in the Adarsh scam also include several senior exservicemen, former Mumbai municipal chief Jairaj Phatak and former state information commissioner Ramanand Tiwari.
Desai initially avoided mentioning the prima facie case under the stringent provisions of PMLA, repeatedly saying that the ED needs more time to investigate and reach conclusions. He admitted its existence only when the bench, headed by Justice Sharad Bobde, said: “You must leave the conclusion to the courts.” The high court was hearing two public interest litigations (PIL), one of which has been filed by Thane resident Pravin Wategaonkar. Wategaonkar wants a probe to find the source of Adarsh members’ funds as well as if there were any benami transactions. The second PIL, filed by activist Simpreet Singh, has demanded “proper action” by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The high court on Monday asked the CBI to file a chargesheet by June 15 against those Adarsh Cooperative Housing society members who do not hold public office. The judges directed the CBI to do so after the investigation agency informed the court that it would complete its probe in the criminal case filed against the 14 named accused Adarsh society members—who held or had held public office-—by mid-June.
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