NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached a farm house in the national capital allegedly belonging to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh with a value of Rs 27.29 crore under Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The building is registered in the name of Maple Destinations and Dreambuild Pvt Ltd.
This is the second attachment of Singh’s assets in a case relating to money laundering registered by the agency against him.
The first attachment against Singh was made on March 23 last year involving immovable and movable properties worth Rs.7.93 crore.
The attachment order comes days after the CBI charge sheeted Singh, his family members and others in a disproportionate assets case.
The agency probe has revealed that the farm was purchased by funding done through shell companies.
Taking cognisance of a CBI FIR against Singh and others, the ED had registered a case under PMLA on October 27, 2015.
The ED probe revealed that Singh's illicit money was invested in the purchase of the farmhouse at Delhi's 3E, Village Dera Mandi in the name of Maple Destinations and Dreambuild Pvt. Ltd.
The Himachal CM's son Vikaramditya Singh (major shareholder) and daughter Aparajita Singh (minor shareholder) are said to be directors of that company.
“The said farmhouse was purchased for an amount of Rs 1,20,00,000 as per registry value. The said payment was made by two cheques of Rs 15 lac each (Rs 30 lacs) and two cheques of Rs 45 lacs each (Rs 90 lacs). The investigation further revealed that a sum of Rs 5.41 crore was paid in cash to purchase the said farmhouse,” the ED said in a statement.
An investigation into the source of said purchase of the property revealed that the funds had been provided through Vakamulla Chandrashekar, Promoter/Director of Tarini Group of Companies engaged in Hydropower projects.
Incidentally, Chandrashekar’s company was awarded Saikothi plant in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh.
The cheque amount for purchase of farm house was given from the personal bank accounts of Chandrashekar maintained with Karur Vyasa, Kotak Mahindra and ICICI Banks situated at Delhi.
Chandrashekhar had given a total of Rs 5.9 crores to Virbhadra Singh and family members out of which Rs 90 lakhs was transferred from the account of Virbhadra Singh to his son Vikramaditya.
The above amount was ultimately utilized for the farmhouse's purchase by the company Maple Destinations and Dreambuild Pvt. Ltd, ED said.
Investigation into the sources of the funds provided by Chandrashekar revealed that the same were routed through certain paper entities like 3G Techno (Rs 17,50,000), Prince Enterprises (Rs 15,00,000), Jai Bharat Foods (Rs 22,50,000), Jai Durga Impex (Rs 30 lakh), Gursharan Singh (Rs 15,00,000 and Rs 20,00,000), the investigating agency further added.
“The Directorate on investigating about these firms came to a conclusion that these firms were paper concerns/ shell companies opened in name of employees with meager salary primarily for providing accommodation entries and the addresses of the firms were found fake. It was also revealed that even a fake bank account was opened in name of one Gursharan Singh at HDFC Bank and was used to provide entry to Vakamulla Chandrashekar. Another firm Jai Bharat Foods was utilized for showing fake agricultural income against fake bills. Further, the said entries were facilitated by one Vineet Mishra then working as a Manager at HDFC Bank, Mansarover Garden, Delhi,” the statement further said.
As the farmhouse in the name of Maple Destinations and Dreambuild Pvt. Ltd. has been purchased out of laundered money through shell firms, the said property/ farmhouse at Dera Mandi has been attached under Provisions of PMLA, 2002.
As per the assessment order passed by IT authorities, the said farmhouse has been valued at Rs. 27.29 crore, The total attachment in the case now is Rs 35.22 crore, ED added.