BENGALURU: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Bengaluru has provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 17.24 crore in a case related to illegal mining under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. In this case, earlier ED has attached properties worth Rs 54.18 crore. The total attachment stands at Rs 71.42 crore in the case, the Central agency stated in an official release on Wednesday.
The ED initiated an investigation under PMLA on the basis of an FIR registered by the Special Investigation Team, Lokayukta against Karadapudi Mahesh, his brothers and associates under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, and Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act.
“During the investigation, it was noticed that illegally mined iron ore was transported and traded by the main accused Mahesh and his brothers, K Govindaraj, K Sadashiva and K Kumar with the help of their associates without valid permits or on the basis of fake and forged permits to the tune of around Rs 62.92 crore,” the ED stated.
The agency added that the accused persons also “facilitated other persons/entities in transportation and trading of illegally mined iron ore by collecting around Rs 40.93 crore as risk money. Thus, the accused persons generated proceeds of the crime to the tune of Rs 103.85 crore and caused loss to the government exchequer.”
“It was further noticed that most of the amount was received in cash and the same was used in the acquisition of immovable properties in the name of accused persons and their family members during the relevant period of commissioning of the scheduled offence,” the ED stated.