ED files charge sheet against ex-MP govt employee

Bhopal, Jan 30 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Friday that it has filed a charge sheet against former Madhya Pradesh government employee Santosh Kumar Sharma, and others under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Sharma, who previously served as in-charge principal in a government-run B.Ed College in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, was booked under the charges of alleged corruption and disproportionate assets worth more than Rs 1.23 crore.

The central probe agency in a statement said that the action was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by the Lokayukta police of Madhya Pradesh against Santosh Kumar Sharma and others under Section 13 (1)(e) read with Section 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

During the investigation, the ED said that Santosh Kumar Sharma, while functioning as a public servant, criminally misused his official position to acquire assets grossly disproportionate to his known sources of income amounting to Rs 1.23 crore.

It was also revealed that he (Sharma) along with his family members were the beneficiary of the proceeds of Crime and he committed an offence of money laundering in relation to the proceeds of crime generated from the scheduled offence, according to ED’s statement.

The ED had previously attached the movable and immovable properties worth more than Rs 1.22 crore.

During investigation, ED found that Sharma earned legitimate income amounting to Rs 1.3 crore, whereas his total expenditure and investments were assessed more than Rs 2.35 crore.

The ED said that Sharma allegedly acquired substantial movable and immovable properties in his own name as well as in the names of his wife and other family members, indicating attempts to conceal ownership and disguise the illicit origin of funds.

The ED investigation also revealed the use of unaccounted cash, unexplained deposits, and layered financial transactions for acquisition of properties and assets.

The accused also incurred significant unverifiable personal and household expenses and attempted to project the proceeds of crime as legitimate by mixing them with limited lawful income.

“The facts prima facie establishes systematic abuse of public office, possession of disproportionate assets, and projection of illicit wealth as untainted property, attracting offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and constituting a scheduled offence under the PMLA, 2002,” the ED statement said on Friday.

–IANS

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