The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said it has attached immovable assets worth more than Rs 5 crore as part of its money laundering investigation against former Assam excise secretary and IAS officer Indreswar Kalita in connection with a disproportionate assets case.
The case stems from an FIR registered by the Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell (CMSVC) against Kalita. According to the ED, a chargesheet filed by the vigilance agency alleged that during the check period from March 1, 2000, to December 31, 2018, the former bureaucrat possessed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income amounting to Rs 5.64 crore. The agency claimed that this was 131.12 per cent higher than his known income during the period.
Provisional attachment of properties
As part of its investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the ED issued a provisional attachment order for six immovable properties linked to the case. Among the properties attached is a high-value property located on Zoo Road in Guwahati, which has been valued at approximately Rs 5.64 crore.
According to the agency, the attachment was carried out as part of its ongoing efforts to trace and secure assets allegedly linked to proceeds of crime in the disproportionate assets case.
Allegations of concealed ownership
The ED alleged that Kalita had acquired several immovable properties either in his own name or in the names of his wife and other family members without any corresponding legitimate sources of income. Investigators claimed that these transactions were deliberately structured to conceal the true ownership and origin of the funds used to purchase the properties.
The agency further stated that the properties were registered at undervalued consideration amounts in sale deeds. This, according to the ED, was done to hide the actual cash used for their purchase and to obscure the beneficial ownership of the assets.
Officials said the investigation into the case is currently underway.