The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Kochi Zone, has attached assets owned by N. Jayamurugan, co-accused in a money laundering case along with lottery businessman Santiago Martin.
The agency, through a provisional order issued on February 9, attached 180.8 acres of land with a face value of Rs.16.52 crore, acquired by nine companies where Jayamurugan had invested. The attachment follows an investigation, which established the manipulations done by the M.J. Associates partnered by Martin and Jayamurugan leading to unlawful financial gains to the firm and corresponding losses to the government of Sikkim.
During the course of investigation, it emerged that proceeds from the scam were used in acquiring various properties. The nine companies where in Jayamurugan had invested this money were identified as Anitha Estates Private Limited, Anitha Infrastructure and Property Developers Private Limited, Jay Gee Hitech Infra Ventures Private Limited, Nadhini Property and Developers Private Limited, N.J.M. Enterprises Private Limited, N.J.M. Estates and Foundations Private Limited, Pavithra Property Developers Private Limited, S.N.J. Infrastructure and Property Developers Private Limited and S.N.J. Promoters and Property Developers Private Limited.
The ED launched a probe against the accused based on a charge sheet filed by the CBI in Kochi in the lottery scam case. As per the charge sheet, they have been booked under IPC 120 B, 420 read with sections 4(d0, 4(f0, 7 (3), 9 of Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998 and 3 (5), 4 (50 of lotteries regulation rules, 2010.
The charge sheet revealed that Santiago Martin cheated Sikkim government, which suffered a loss of over Rs.4,500 crore, through the sale of Sikkim lotteries in Kerala. The Central agency also found that money from the winning tickets was given to 72 persons, including government officials, with assistance of 15 middlemen after taking commission.
