The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) said on Saturday it has provisionally attached properties valued at Rs 27.86 crore of ex-IAS officer Babulal Agrawal under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 (PMLA) in cases related to criminal misconduct and cheating by a public servant.
The attached assets include plant and machinery, balances in bank accounts and immovable properties of Agrawal and his family, the agency said.
The ED had initiated investigations under PMLA on the basis of an FIR registered by Chhattisgarh Police’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.
This followed discovery of disproportionate assets amassed by Agrawal and his family pursuant to searches conducted by the Income Tax Department in 2010 in the premises of Babulal Agrawal, his Chartered Accountant Sunil Agrawal and the former's family members, it said.
Three more FIRs were registered followed by chargesheets by the CBI against Agrawal and others.
Investigation revealed that Agrawal in connivance with his CA and his brothers Ashok Agrawal and Pawan Agrawal opened more than 400 bank accounts in the name of gullible villagers.
Cash was deposited in these and several other accounts, the agency said.
Agrawal was arrested by ED on November 9 and he is in judicial custody till December 5. Further investigation into the case is underway, ED said.