ED attaches Rs 1.43 crore assets of firm assigned to upgrade streetlights

The ED on Friday said it has attached assets worth Rs 1.43 crore of a firm hired to upgrade streetlights during the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) in the national capital.

The federal agency issued a provisional order for attachment, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), of an industrial plot in Haryana's Mewat area and fixed deposits worth Rs 59.63 lakh in the name of Sweka Power Tech Engineers Pvt Ltd.

A similar order was issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) early this month attaching properties worth Rs 94.24 lakh of a firm that was involved for renovation of two stadiums in Delhi.

The latest order, totalling Rs 1.43 crore, was issued after the ED studied the CBI chargesheet in this case against the then superintending engineer D K Sugan, former executive engineer O P Mahla, the firm and its directors Jasminder Pal Singh, Tejinder Pal Singh and others.

The ED said in a statement that a special CBI court here has already convicted the accused in the case "for fraud and criminal conspiracy in award of a tender by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to the said company for upgradation of street lighting in Delhi during the CWG and causing wrongful loss to government to the tune of Rs 1.43 crore".

Investigation found that the accused "acquired proceeds of crime of Rs 1.43 crore by way of criminal activities related to the offences of fraud and criminal conspiracy and integrated the illegally earned money with their normal business activity".

Further probe in the case is ongoing, it said.

The multi-discipline sporting tournament was marred by allegations of blatant corruption in creation of infrastructure and procurement of items and multiple agencies such as the CBI, ED and the Income Tax Department had launched separate probes soon after the conclusion of the games.