ED attaches assets worth Rs 37.26 cr of Punjab govt engineer, family

New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth Rs 37.26 crore, belonging to Punjab government engineer Surinder Pal Singh alias Pehalwan, his family, and family's entities/associates in a PMLA case.

These include 63 immovable properties - both land and buildings in various districts of Punjab, and pertaining to three companies associated with Singh and his family members and certain other properties registered in name of other closely associated entities/individuals.

Attached assets also include movable properties in the form of balances available in several bank accounts pertaining to Singh, his family members and companies managed/ controlled by Singh.

The ED initiated investigations on the basis of an FIR registered and charge sheet filed by the Vigilance Bureau, Punjab under various sections of the IPC and PC Act.

"Singh, who was posted as Executive Engineer/Superintendent Engineer/Chief Engineer at various offices of the Punjab Mandi Board and the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), had incorporated several companies through his family members and deposited in the accounts of such companies huge quantum of funds earned by him through illicit means," an ED official said.

Singh also misused his official position and allotted multi-crore projects to his favoured firms/companies, thereby ensuring illegal monetary gains for himself as well as various other persons belonging to his own family, etc.

In this connection, the ED had earlier conducted searches at various premises connected with Singh, his associates and others as a result of which proceeds of crime lying in the form of term deposits, totalling Rs 5.93 crore were ordered to be frozen.

During investigation conducted by the ED, Singh and his family members and associates were not able to prove the genuineness of the business/financial transactions of such companies incorporated by him in name of his family members, which clearly established the fact that the companies were floated only with the purpose to launder his illicit income earned by misuse of his official position in the government.

Also, no supporting documents were ever submitted by them during investigation with regards to huge cash deposits in the bank accounts of the companies managed and controlled by Singh.

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