By Alok Mathur
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) swings into action in the Rs 2.31 crore and one kg gold seizure case of Yojana Bhawan. After four-day remand of suspended joint director Ved Prakash Yadav, ED sent notice of appearance to Information Technology (IT) secretary Anandhi through the office of IT commissioner Inderjeet Singh. The central agency also held discussion with Inderjeet Singh in room No 207. Both Anandhi and Inderjeet Singh have joined the department in July this year, more than 2 months after arrest of Yadav.
According to sources, a three-member team of ED visited IT department housed in Yojana Bhawan and served notice in the name of Anandhi to Indeerjeet Singh. This created furore in the department and many officers left the office in hush.
Sources said that before visiting Yojana Bhawan, a team of ED had gone to secretariat to meet IT secretary Anandhi and additional chief secretary Akhil Arora regarding the case. But none fo the officers was available in their respective offices.
With ED summoning senior officials and serving notices to IAS officers, people are suspecting bigger scam with involvement of higher-ups.
“ED must have got some lead after interrogation of Yadav. Now it is moving swiftly to close the gaps. The entire case will take a political colour as BJP will raise this issue in the upcoming assembly while Congress will term it as misuse of ED,” said a senior police official.
The Case
This is a sensational case in which a cash of Rs 2.31 crore and one kg gold was found in the official almirah of a government building – Yojana Bhawan – which houses the IT department among few other department. This is the first time that unsolicited cash of huge amount has been recovered from the basement of a government building. The state police registered a case against joint director Ved Prakash Yadav under whose custody the locker was there. Later the case was transferred to Anti Corruption Bureau which arrested Yadav and sent him to jail. Yadav didn't give any lead to ACB and was later released on bail.
ED initiates investigation
After 3 months, ED suddenly swung into action and arrested Ved Prakash Yadav on August 9 under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, PMLA (2002). ED ED initiated investigation under the PMLA, 2002, on the basis of FIR registered by ACB Rajasthan Police, under various sections of IPC against Ved Prakash Yadav, the then Joint Director, DoIT & Communication, Rajasthan.
FIR alleged that during file scanning work at the UID Branch of DoIT & Communication, two bags were found in an almirah in the basement filled with denomination bank notes of Indian currency 500 and Indian currency 2000 amounting to Rs 2.31 Crore and one gold bar of one kg valued at Rs 61.80 lakhs allegedly belonging to Ved Prakash Yadav.
ACB, Jaipur filed charge-sheet for acquiring disproportionate assets (DA) by Yadav to the tune of Rs 3.35 crore during the period 31.03.1994 to 21.05.2023. During the search operations, sale deeds of properties, various incriminating documents and electronic device were recovered and seized by ED. Ved Prakash Yadav was arrested on August 9, 2023 by ED and produced before the Special Court PMLA, Jaipur on August 10, 2023.
Alok Mathur is a law graduate. Journalism is his first love which he now pursues in the latter half of his career. Controversies and crime are the right triggers for him.
