With the state government upping the ante against the listed mafia and gangsters by confiscating their illegally got properties, the Lucknow Zonal Office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached assets worth over Rs 8 crore of jailed ‘gangster’ and former Samajwadi Party MP Ateeq Ahmad in connection with a money-laundering investigation going against him on Monday.
Ateeq Ahmad (59) is currently lodged in Sabarmati jail of Gujarat. Ahmad is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate on the basis of as many as 196 FIRs lodged against him on charges of murder, extortion, cheating and land grabbing at various police stations in Uttar Pradesh. He has been quizzed by ED sleuths who recorded his statement in multiple sessions over the last few months. Ateeq has also been charged under the Gangsters Act by the Uttar Pradesh government.
The ED said that the provisionally attached properties ‘consist of land property and balances in bank accounts worth Rs 8.14 crore and they belong to politician-cum-mafia Ahmad and his wife Shaista Parveen. Joint Director of ED, Lucknow Zone, Rajeshwar Singh confirmed the action to media persons and said that the attachments have been done under sections of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The ED team attached a landed property situated at 'arazi no 386 and 387, mauza katka, paragana Jhunsi' in Phulpur Tehsil of Allahabad which is in the name of Shaista Parveen. "This property was acquired by Ateeq Ahmad for a consideration of Rs 4.5 crore only, which is far below the government value of Rs 6.86 crore,” an ED release said.
Besides, the attachment also included fund balances of Rs 1.28 crore lying in 10 bank accounts of Ateeq Ahmad and an account of Shaista Parveen.
The ED release further said that its probe found that Ahmad, through criminal activities, used to earn dirty money in cash and it was deposited/placed in his and his relative's bank accounts. It has also been noticed by the ED that funds were being credited in their accounts from various firms and companies being run by his aides.
The release added, that these funds were further utilised for acquisition of landed property in the name of Shaista Praaveen at the consideration price far below the government value. Information was obtained about these assets and transactions from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Income Tax Department and some other agencies.
Statements of the accused are being recorded and inquiry is being made to ascertain the source of funds invested in these companies. Money trail of the proceeds of crime is also being established. More such orders of attachment of assets could be issued against Ateeq Ahmad and his aides in the coming days.