The Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized Rs 75 lakhs in Indian and foreign currency, as well as documents pertaining to nearly 200 bank accounts and 50 shell entities, from the jailed gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his associates’ premises. The seizure came after an ED sleuth raid on 15 locations in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on Wednesday. The documents seized during these raids related to nearly 200 bank accounts and 50 shell entities, according to the ED, were used for laundering ill-gotten money generated through extortion, land grabbing, and other criminal activities.
“Over 100 properties in the names of Atiq Ahmad’s close associates and firms have also been discovered. These are believed to be Atiq’s benami properties “According to the federal agency. “The searches have also turned up cash transactions worth more than 50 crores. Documents pertaining to properties (forcibly) purchased from farmers, allegedly through criminal intimidation, have also been discovered.”
The agency raided the homes of Atiq and his relative Khalid Zafar, his advocate-cum-accomplice Saulat Hanif Khan, his associates Asad, Vadood Ahmad, Kali, Mohsin, chartered accountant Sabeeh Ahmad, chartered accountant Asif Jafri, Seetaram Shukla (accountant), real estate developers Sanjeev Aggarwal and Deepak Bhargav on Wednesday.
The raids were part of the ED’s ongoing money laundering investigation into Atiq and those associated with him. The raids occurred while Ahmad was being transported to Prayagraj from the Sabarmati Jail in Gujarat for his appearance in a local court in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case. The case in which Ahmad is on trial is linked to the February 24 murder of Pal and his two police security guards outside his home in Prayagraj’s Dhoomanganj area. Uttar Pradesh Police had registered a First Information Report (FIR) on February 25 against Ahmad, his brother Ashraf, his 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.
Land property situated at mauza Katka, Paragana Jhunsi, Tehsil Phulpur, in 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. In addition, 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.Following its investigation under the PMLA, the ED stated that Ahmad earned black money in cash through criminal activities and that it was deposited in several bank accounts of the gangster, his kin, and close associates.
The ED has noticed that these funds are being credited to their accounts from various firms and companies of his aides, the ED previously stated, adding that “these funds have been further utilised for buying land in the name of his wife at a consideration price far below the government’s value.”
According to the ED, it gathered information from the IT department and other agencies related to the companies run by Ahmad’s aides.