The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested proprietor of Patna-based Shree Maharani Steel, Dewesh Kumar under money laundering charges for being involved in the misappropriation of condemned wagons and wheel sets and other excluded fittings of Eastern Railway Jamalpur workshop worth `34 crore.
The ED initiated money laundering investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by Anti-Corruption Branch, CBI, Patna on the basis of a complaint letter issued by Senior Deputy General Manager and vigilance officer, Eastern Railway against the firm Shree Maharani Steels, Patna, unknown officials of Eastern Railway, Jamalpur and unknown private persons.
“It has been alleged that misappropriation and irregularities were noticed in the disposal of condemned wagons and other excluded fittings from Dhobi Ghat Siding of Eastern Railway, Jamalpur. It has further been alleged that during a preventive check conducted by the Vigilance Department of the Eastern Railway, 100 Nos. of condemned wagons and 3,220 Nos. of released wheel sets along with other excluded fittings having net value of `34 crore approximately have been misappropriated by an outside private agency and auction purchaser Dewesh Kumar, proprietor of Shree Maharani Steel, Patna in connivance with unknown railway officials of Eastern Railway, Jamalpur and other unknown private persons,” it said.
Throughout the investigation, Dewesh Kumar has resorted to non-cooperation with the investigation and has not
divulged any information following which the agency had arrested him on August 13. The Special PMLA Court, Patna had remanded the accused for seven days Enforcement custody till Monday.