GUWAHATI, July 2 � As many as 38 cases under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) are now under investigation by the Guwahati office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which include one case against the Saradha Group chief Sudipto Sen and his associates and the North Cachar Hills financial scam.
Highly placed official sources told The Assam Tribune that since 2009, as many as 46 cases were registered in the Guwahati office of the ED, but later, five were closed following court orders. The ED filed charge sheets in two cases against militants belonging to Manipur based outfit PREPAK, who procured properties with money extorted from people. Their properties were also attached.
Sources said that so far, the courts ordered attachment of properties worth Rs 4.12 crore under the provisions of the PMLA in response to the cases investigated by the ED. There was one case of attachment of Rs 1.30 crore related to the financial scam in the NC Hills Autonomous Council, while, three properties were attached in Delhi. Sources said that one person from Assam managed to dupe several banks and procured two flats and a building in Delhi with the proceeds of crime and following ED investigation, all those properties were attached.
Giving details of the cases under investigation by the ED, sources said that the investigation against Sudipto Sen and his associates just started and it would take some time to complete the process of investigation. Even after attachment of Rs 1.30 crore, the investigation into the financial scam in NC Hills autonomous council is still on , but the delay in getting the details of the properties of the prime accused RH Khan is delaying the investigations.
The ED is investigating a case relating to implementation of the Bordokorai irrigation project in Sonitpur district and the role of a former Irrigation Minister in the scam is also under scanner.
The Directorate is also investigating a case against former Assam Public Service Commission chairman Tara Prasad Das.
