Yadav Singh case: ED registers 2 money laundering cases

Enforcement Directorate (ED) today slapped money laundering charges in two separate cases against Yadav Singh, former Chief Engineer of Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway.
The probe agency has based its Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) FIRs on two complaints filed by CBI against Singh in August this year.
"Two cases have been registered under PMLA against Singh for amassing wealth through alleged illegal means," sources said.
ED had also been asked by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money to file a criminal case against Singh last December but the absence of a 'predicate' offence or a basic criminal case report against the officer was a legal obstacle being faced by it to go ahead in this regard.

Sources said Singh will soon be questioned even as the agency is ascertaining his movable and immovable assets in Uttar Pradesh and other states for attachment under PMLA.
CBI, after an Allahabad High Court order, registered two cases against Singh and his family members for alleged corruption and amassing assets disproportionate to known sources of income.

Close on the heels of lodging these two cases with a special CBI court, the agency had in August carried out searches at various locations including at Yadav's residence and offices of Noida. CBI today again conducted some searches in this case.
ED, sources said, had also got in touch with the Income Tax department to obtain more information about financial details on Singh as the tax sleuths were the first to have taken action against him as they conducted searches on his premises in Uttar Pradesh last year.

A scrutiny of ITRs and other connecting records, CBI had said, had allegedly revealed that during the period 2009-2014, the total likely savings of the family of the then Chief Engineer was Rs 1.70 crore (approx) whereas they were in possession of immovable property worth Rs 3.60 crore (approx).
"Besides, an amount of Rs 10 crore (approx) was allegedly recovered from one of his associates which also reportedly belonged to then Chief Engineer," CBI had said.