ED files PMLA case in UP sugar mills corruption case

The ED has filed a money laundering case in connection with the alleged sugar mills disinvestment scam in Uttar Pradesh during BSP leader Mayawati's tenure in which the CBI had conducted multiple raids last week, officials said Friday.

They said the Enforcement Directorate's zonal office in Lucknow filed the criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after going through the CBI FIR.

The agency has named the same accused that includes Netram, the then secretary to former chief minister Mayawati, in its Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), which is equivalent to a police FIR.

It will investigate if the alleged slush funds generated in this case were laundered to create black assets, they said.

The CBI had registered an FIR and six preliminary inquiries to probe the disinvestment scam case pertaining to the sale of 10 running and 11 closed sugar mills of the state government.

It (CBI) had searched the properties of former IAS officers Netram and Vinay Priya Dubey and premises of former MLC Mohammed Iqbal's sons-- Wajid Ali and Mohammed Javed.

Netram had held the position of secretary to Mayawati for some period when she was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh between 2007 and 2012, while Dubey was the managing director of Uttar Pradesh State Sugar Corporation, they said.

The premises of a chartered accountant at Barakhamba Road in New Delhi and another person in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur were also searched by the CBI in connection with the disinvestment scam case.

The ED will also look for the assets of the accused that can be attached under the PMLA during the course of investigation.