OUR CORRESPONDENT
ITANAGAR: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached immovable property and mutual fund investments worth Rs 1.51 crore in a money laundering case against former West Kameng deputy commissioner Padma Jaiswal and others.
The ED's Itanagar sub-zonal office issued the attachment order on November 13 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The attached assets include a commercial property measuring 29.626 square yards at Sector 40-D in Chandigarh, valued at Rs 1.42 crore and registered in the name of Jaiswal's brother, Vishu Bhanu Partap Mahto. The agency also attached mutual fund investments worth Rs 9 lakh held by Jaiswal under the SBI Multicap Fund.
The ED initiated its investigation based on an FIR registered by the CBI's Anti-Corruption Branch in Guwahati against Jaiswal, former Finance and Accounts Officer Nor Bahadur Sonar, former cashier Runchin Phuntsok and others. The CBI filed a chargesheet before the Special Judge (Prevention of Corruption Act) at Yupia on August 30, 2024.
According to the ED, Jaiswal allegedly conspired with other public servants to misappropriate government funds while serving as deputy commissioner of Bomdila in 2007-08 by fraudulently liquidating three government deposit-at-call receipts. Demand drafts totalling Rs 28 lakh were allegedly issued in favour of private individuals by falsely showing the transactions as government-related payments.
The agency alleged that Rs 19 lakh of the diverted funds was used to purchase the Chandigarh property in her brother's name. The remaining Rs 9 lakh was allegedly routed through three demand drafts towards a proposed plot purchase in Mohali in the name of her daughter, Pooja Jaiswal. The transaction was later cancelled, and the property was not registered.
The ED said the attached mutual fund investments represented the corresponding proceeds of crime. While the alleged proceeds amounted to Rs 28 lakh, the attached assets have a present assessed value of Rs 1.51 crore.
Jaiswal, a 2003-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, was suspended in 2008 and later reinstated. The Centre subsequently removed her from service following disciplinary proceedings. Further investigation is underway, the ED said.