The Enforcement Directorate has attached properties worth ₹9.35 crore, including a Delhi farmhouse and an old fort in Rajasthan’s Bikaner, in connection with a money laundering case against meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi and others.
The ED probe is based on an FIR lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation, alleging receipt of illegal gratification from various persons for securing favours from influential public servants. Among those named were Mr. Qureshi of AMQ group of companies, his employee Aditya Sharma, Pradeep Koneru of Timex Group, and former CBI chief A.P. Singh.
“The attached assets include immovable properties held in the name of shell companies Evershine Hospitality Private Limited, Skyrise Infratech Private Limited, Empire Sales Private Limited, Impress Estates Private Limited and Millennium Propcon Private Limited controlled by the accused,” said the agency.
The assets in question are located at Delhi, Rajasthan, Dehradun and Goa.
The agency said the probe revealed that Mr. Qureshi was in touch with senior officials of the CBI. “He would collect money from different individuals, either directly or through his agents such as Sathish Babu Sana, to influence the cases being investigated by the CBI. The proceeds of the crime used to be laundered through various means, such as expenditure abroad by Mr. Qureshi, his wife and their family members or spending on behalf of seniors officers,” said the agency.
Another way of money laundering was investment in properties, a major part of which used to be paid in cash. “Investigation till date has revealed collection to the tune of ₹12.69 crore, of which ₹3.34 crore was earlier attached in September 2017,” the ED said.
The agency had arrested Mr. Sana in July in the same case. Incidentally, it was on his statement that the CBI registered an FIR last year against its own Special Director Rakesh Asthana and others on graft charge.
