New Delhi/Lucknow, (Samajweekly) In a massive action against former Uttar Pradesh Minister Gayatri Prajapati, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out searches at several locations in connection with a money laundering probe and has identified over 50 properties associated with him, sources said.
The financial probe agency raided several residential and other premise of former Uttar Pradesh Minister Prajapati, his driver and sons in connection with an illegal mining scam.
An ED source related to the development told IANS, “During the searches at the premises of Prajapati, the ED has got the details of over 50 properties in form of land.”
The source said that the financial probe agency is trying to identify whether these properties are benami or bought through illegal means.
However, the senior officers of ED remained tightlipped to comment about the identification of 50 more properties of Prajapati.
According to ED officials, multiple teams of ED swooped down on his Awas Vikas residence in Amethi while another team raided the premises of his driver Raja Ram in Tikari area of Amethi district.
Another raid was conducted at the Vibhuti Khand office of Prajapati’s sons Anil and Anurag in Lucknow.
Prajapati is being probed by the ED in connection with two cases — one relating to the illegal sand mining case and second one relating to amassing huge property which is disproportainate to his income.
The illegal sand mining case was registered by the CBI last year relating to the violation of norms in awarding the mining leases in various districts of the state between 2012 and 2016, on the basis of which the ED registered a case of money laundering in August last year.
The ED has questioned Prajapati about his role in giving three sand mining licences to Shiv Singh and Sukhraj in Fatehpur district last year.
ED suspects that the money generated from Shiv Singh and Sukhraj was used to buy properties in cities like Lucknow, Rae Bareli and Amethi.
