Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot's elder brother summed for ED questioning in PMLA case

Image courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's elder brother has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in connection with a money-laundering case linked to alleged financial irregularities in exporting fertiliser.

The ED has asked Agrasain Gehlot to depose before the investigating officer on Wednesday in Delhi under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Earlier on July 22, the ED had raided Agrasain Gehlot's premises in Jodhpur and a few other places in connection with the case filed under the criminal charges of PMLA. The agency seized a number of documents during the raids and Agrasain Gehlot will be confronted with these during his questioning. 

The Enforcement Directorate has reportedly summoned some other people involved in the case. The raids took place after the agency filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), the ED equivalent of a police FIR, in the 2007-09 Customs department case registered for alleged irregularities in the procurement and export of subsidised Muriate of Potash (MOP) meant for farmers and investigation, in this case, was finalised in 2013, said a PTI report.

The ED took cognisance of the Customs FIR and a July 13 charge sheet to press money-laundering charges to probe a "smuggling syndicate" allegedly run by Agrasain Gehlot, his firm Anupam Krishi and others, officials said.

The raids against Agrasain Gehlot happened at a time when a political slugfest was on between CM Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot, who was recently sacked as Rajasthan deputy CM and PCC chief.