The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth over Rs 36 crore of a retired Gujarat cadre officer Sanjay Gupta and his family on money laundering charge in a case of criminal misconduct and misappropriation of funds of Metro Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad Company Ltd, (MEGA).
The ED has attached assets worth Rs 36.12 crore held by retired IAS officer of Gujarat cadre Sanjay Gupta, his wife Neelu Gupta along with assets held in the name of his Neesa Group Companies like Neesa Leisure Ltd., Neesa Technologies, Neesa Agritech & Foods Ltd. under Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The attached properties include flats in Ahemdabad at Dhananjay Towers, Satellite, Casela Towers, Jodhpur, one flat at Agarwal Apartment, Vejalpur, Satellite, Cambay Hotel at Thaltej, and plots and factories at Visalpur, Changodar and Daskroi.
Based on FIR and chargesheets filed by CID Crime, Gandhinagar Zone under various sections of Indian Penal Code including criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the ED had initiated investigation under PMLA against Gupta and others for misappropriation of public funds from MEGA.
Gupta was a 1985 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre who quit service in 2002 and started his own hospitality business in name of Neesa Group of Companies. He became Chairman of MEGA in April 2011 and continued till Aug 2013.
Investigation under PMLA revealed that Gupta, during his tenure as Chairman, MEGA, arbitrarily appointed his close associates in various official positions in MEGA who were previously working with him in Neesa Group, the ED said.
Accused Gupta also floated a number of paper/dummy companies with these employees, as Directors and got opened bank accounts of these companies during 2012-13, it said.
These fictitious companies further raised fabricated/bogus bills/invoices to MEGA without any supply of Goods/Services.
Dummy companies were awarded contract on pretext for supply of goods/services to MEGA and bogus bills/invoices were raised. These bogus bills/invoices were certified by the illegally recruited MEGA officials and payments were finally approved by him, as the administrative and financial powers were vested in him.
The proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 65.73 crore were received from MEGA through bogus bills/invoices as well as illicit Cash/DD/Cheques deposits in the accounts of the dummy companies floated and controlled by Gupta.
Investigation further revealed that out of the the proceeds of crime, an amount of Rs. 36.12 crore was layered and diverted to the accounts of Gupta, his wife Neelu and his Neesa Group companies.
