ENFORCEMENT Directorate (ED), Bhopal Zonal Office, has provisionally attached immovable properties worth around Rs 1.64 crore belonging to former Madhya Pradesh Government assistant Mahendra Pratap Singh and his wife, Reeta Singh, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The ED initiated its investigation based on an FIR registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Bhopal, against Mahendra Pratap Singh under Sections 13(1)(b) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, in connection with allegations of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. EOW filed chargesheet in Rewa: Following its investigation, the EOW filed a final report/chargesheet before the Special Court, Rewa, under Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 13(1)(b) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.

 

Assets found disproportionate to income: According to the ED, its investigation found that during the check period from February 13, 1995, to September 9, 2020, Mahendra Pratap Singh allegedly acquired disproportionate assets worth around Rs 1.64 crore, amounting to about 191.11% of his known sources of income. Properties linked to proceeds of crime: The ED said the alleged proceeds of crime generated through illicit enrichment while Singh was a public servant were used to acquire movable and immovable assets, including insurance policies, vehicles, land parcels and the acquisition and construction of a school building. The agency said the accused failed to substantiate the sources of the income used to acquire the assets. School building among attached assets:The properties provisionally attached under Section 5(1) of the PMLA include a land parcel and school building in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, which the Enforcement Directorate has identified as proceeds of crime. Further investigation is in progress, the ED said.