ED attaches assets worth ₹86L of Bihar Maoist leader
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday attached assets worth Rs 86 lakh of a Bihar-based Maoist commander, in a firstof-its-kind action against such criminals under the antimoney laundering laws.
The central probe agency issued a provisional order for the attachment of both movable and immovable assets of Sandeep Yadav alias Badka Bhaiya and his family under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The agency said Yadav is incharge of the Madhya Zone of the Bihar-jharkhand Special Area Committee of the outlawed CPI (Maoist).
The attached properties include three land plots in the name of his wife Rajanti Devi in Bihar’s Aurangabad district, two similar plots in Gaya and an advance payment amount of Rs 10.43 lakh made by Yadav’s son-in-law to purchase a flat in Delhi’s Dwarka area.
Few vehicles and bank deposits have also been attached as part of the order issued by the agency.
The assets attached are worth Rs 86 lakh.
The Enforcement Directorate said it took cognisance of Yadav’s alleged criminal activities after going through over 100 FIRS and chargesheets filed by the Bihar police against him, his brother Dhanik Lal Mandal and other family members, including his wife and son.
“During investigation, it has been revealed that cash to the tune of more than Rs 1.50 crore have been infused in several bank accounts and immovable assets held in the name of family members of Sandeep Yadav out of which properties valued at Rs 86 lakhs have been detected and attached,” the statement said.
The agency said it was also probing the Yadav family for alleged generation of black funds post-demonetisation.
“Huge demonetised currency has been laundered by the cadre of CPI (Maoist),” the Enforcement Directorate said.
“During demonetisation, son-in-law of Sandeep Yadav deposited huge cash in his bank account and Mandal made an attempt to launder demonetised currency of Rs 15 lakh by way of depositing the same in the bank account of a petty shopkeeper,” it said.
The Enforcement Directorate said the case was the “firstever attachment of properties of top maoist leader by any agency in India”. MADURAI/CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu minister Sellur K Raju on Monday denied having said that only AIADMK card holders would be given government welfare measures, and claimed that “falsehood” was being spread.
“A falsehood is being spread that I had said government items (schemes) will be available only for those holding AIADMK membership card. This is a false message,” he told reporters at Madurai.
Raju said there was no legal provision to restrict government schemes to supporters of a particular political party and added that he only sought to ensure new entrants to AIADMK had secured their party membership cards.
Referring to the ruling AIADMK’S universal free rice distribution scheme, he said, “We don’t see (if beneficiaries of the rice scheme) are AIADMK families (i.e. supporters).”
About his reported controversial statement, the state cooperatives minister claimed, “never said so.”
On Sunday, media reports had quoted him as saying at an event in Madurai, “AIADMK party card is what identifies us and is equal to our life itself... every party member should have it. All party members should have the card. Only if you have it, can you get government welfare schemes benefits either for you or your family.” THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A travel ban has been imposed by a Dubai court against Binoy Kodiyeri, the elder son of CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, in a cheating case filed by a Gulf-based tourism company.
Binoy Kodiyeri, who is now in Dubai, has been asked to deposit his passport to the court following the ban imposed on February 1.
The Dubai-based JAAS Tourism had alleged that Binoy Kodiyeri had cheated it of Rs 13 crore.
Confirming the development, Bineesh, the younger son of the Marxist leader, said that they would file an appeal against the ban next week. The dispute is over payment of Rs 1.74 crore and not Rs 13 crore as was being alleged, he told reporters here.
Binoy Kodiyeri has also been asked by the court to deposit 10 lakh dirhams (Rs 1.74 core).
Bineesh said the dispute had been deliberately brought up at a time the CPI(M) district conferences were going on.
“Let Binoy be in Dubai. There is no urgency for him to come back here,” he said.
“My brother and I are adults and are responsible for our actions. Whatever we do, how is our father responsible?” he asked.
Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had earlier maintained there was no case against his elder son Binoy in Dubai and attacked the media for giving “misleading” reports.