The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday attached tainted journalist Upendra Rai’s alleged ill-gotten assets worth Rs 27 crore. The assets include bungalows, pent houses, flats in Delhi, Noida and luclnow besides high-end cars.
“The attached assets include high-end cars, flats and investments in mutual funds and bank deposits,” said ED officials. A provisional order for attachment has been issued against Rai and others under the PMlA, senior officials said adding the total value of the properties is Rs 26.65 crore.
As per the ED’s statement, three-storied posh bungalow C-24, Greater Kailash -1, Flat No: 104 of Arihant Paradise in Noida, Pent House in Saraswati Apartments in lucknow, Flat No: D9 in Shalimar Imperial in lucknow, Flat No: 801 in Ashadeep at Hailey Road in New Delhi and Flat No: 368 at Jalvayu Vihar in Noida are the attached buildings of Upendra Rai, charged with extortion and money laundering.
Rai was arrested on June 8 by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money laundering Act (PMlA) at the Tihar Jail here, moments after he secured bail in a Central Bureau of Investigation case related to alleged extortion and dubious financial transactions.
Before that, he was arrested by the CBI on May 3 for allegedly indulging in dubious financial transactions, getting an airport access pass made by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) by furnishing false information, alleged extortion and manipulation of an Income Tax Department case against a Mumbai-bound businessman.
In its FIR, the CBI has alleged that going by the value of transactions of over Rs 1 lakh each during 2017, Rai’s accounts received Rs 79 crore while Rs 78.51 crore was debited from it during the period.