STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, Feb 6: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Guwahati Zonal Office, has provisionally attached immovable and movable properties worth approximately Rs 3.07 crore belonging to Md Chamed Ali, former Executive Engineer of the Public Works Department (Roads), Government of Assam, and his family members, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in a case related to disproportionate assets, officials said on Friday.
According to an official release, the attached assets include five immovable properties valued at Rs 2.42 crore, while the movable assets comprise LIC policies worth Rs 65 lakh, taking the total attached value to Rs 3.07 crore.
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The ED initiated the money laundering investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the CM Special Vigilance Cell, Assam Police, bearing Vigilance PS Case No. 09/2023 dated December 8, 2023.
The FIR was registered against Md. Chamed Ali under Sections 13(1)(b) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018.
Subsequently, the CM Special Vigilance Cell filed Charge Sheet No. 4 of 2024 on March 6, 2024 before the Court of the Special Judge, Assam, Guwahati-I.
Investigations revealed that during his service tenure from January 1, 2000 to February 28, 2021, while serving as Assistant Engineer, Assistant Executive Engineer and Executive Engineer in various divisions of the PWD (Roads), Md Chamed Ali amassed disproportionate assets amounting to Rs 3.07 crore, which constituted 152.96 per cent of his known sources of income.
The accused had a total known income of Rs 2.01 crore during the check period, while his expenditure stood at Rs 4.27 crore, resulting in negative savings of Rs 2.26 crore.
He allegedly failed to provide any satisfactory explanation for the excess assets.
The ED further stated that the accused systematically laundered the proceeds of crime through a three-stage money laundering process.
In the placement stage, cash proceeds totalling Rs 92.3 lakh were introduced into the banking system through a benami account operated in the name of an illiterate woman running a small grocery shop, besides unexplained cash deposits in the accounts of family members.
The said account also received deposits of Rs 41.3 lakh from PWD contractors linked to the accused.
During the layering stage, the proceeds were routed through family members to obscure the audit trail, while in the integration stage, the laundered money was converted into high-value real estate through a layered ownership structure to conceal beneficial ownership.
Further investigation in the case is under progress.
