Odisha: ED attaches properties worth Rs 128.86 Crores in chit fund cases

Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Wednesday issued a Provisional Attachment Order under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) attaching movable and immovable properties worth Rs 128.86 Crores in the case of Micro Finance Group of Companies and others.

Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Wednesday issued a Provisional Attachment Order under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) attaching movable and immovable properties worth Rs 128.86 Crores in the case of Micro Finance Group of Compes and others.

According to an official statement of ED, the agency had initiated the investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation, SPE, SCB, Kolkata against Micro Finance Ltd. and others in pursuance of an order of Supreme Court of India, wherein the Court has directed inter alia that the investigation of chit fund cases registered in different police stations in the State of Odisha be transferred from the State Police Agency to the CBI.

"Micro Finance Limited was one among the 44 cases stated in the Order of the Supreme Court of India. Subsequently, charge-sheet in the case was filed by CBI, Bhubaneswar," it stated.

ED said the investigation conducted in this case revealed that a huge amount of proceeds of crime have been laundered in this case.

"Accordingly, a Provisional Attachment Order was issued, attaching immovable and movable properties worth Rs 128.86 Crores belonging to Micro Group of compes and others (including Kamat Hotels (India) Ltd., Prasanta Kumar Acharya, Ex-Director in Ayush Hospital and Trauma Care Pvt. Ltd., Bhubaneswar)."

Earlier, in 2019, ED had issued a Provisional Attachment order attaching movable properties in the form of bank balances worth Rs 88.99 Crores.

The agency said further investigation into the case is underway.

( With inputs from ANI )