Ranchi/New Delhi: The Enforcement
Directorate has attached several properties of former
Jharkhand minister Enos Ekka in connection with its probe into
the multi-crore illegal investments and hawala case against
him.
Official sources said the process, which was started
in the middle of this year, has been completed with the
Adjudicating Authority recently upholding the Directorate`s
move.
Sources said the Authority`s decision is a boost to
the investigative agency as it is in the process of attaching
properties of other aides of former Jharkhand chief minister
Madhu Koda. The properties are worth over Rs 100 crore.
Sources said the Ekka`s properties, whose market value
is worth several crores, have been undervalued on paper.
The ED has the powers to attach the property of those
accused of money laundering under the Prevention of Money
Laundering Act (PMLA).
Ekka, Koda and another former Minister Hari Narayan
Rai are accused under a PMLA case.
Sources said besides immovable properties, the
Directorate has also frozen several bank accounts in
connection with the case.
Meanwhile, the ED, which has received the relevant
orders from the Court in Jharkhand is in the process of
attaching various properties belonging to Koda and his close
associates, mainly Binod Sinha and Sanjay Chowdhary.
The ED had recently attached properties worth Rs 200 crore in connection with the same case.
Sources said while the earlier properties were
primarily in Jharkhand and Bihar, the new identified
properties are spread across the country, including in
Maharashtra.
The properties will be sealed and a complete embargo
would be issued by the Directorate against their sale and
purchase as an inquiry is on against the owners -- Koda and
his associates.
Koda and his associates are facing inquiries by
various probe agencies like ED, I-T department, CBI and
Jharkhand Vigilance Bureau regarding alleged illegal
investments and hawala transactions in India and abroad.
PTI
