Corruption case: ED attaches assets worth Rs 2.89 crore of Kolkata EPFO officer

Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached properties worth Rs 2.89 crore of a Kolkata official of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) for allegedly amassing wealth disproportionate to his know sources of income.

It also recovered Rs 10.60 lakh in cash and jewellery valued at Rs 27 lakh from the official's home, besides documents related to fixed bank deposits, postal deposits, immovable properties and 75 bank and post office accounts.

The official, Ramesh Chandra Singh, works as Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner in Kolkata.

Three other EPFO officials — Samiran Kumar Mondal, Deepak Bhattacharya, and Sukumar Shaw — are also being investigated for allegedly laundering money received as bribes. They are enforcement officers.

"The investigation showed that Ramesh Chandra Singh was receiving bribes by misusing his official position and acquired assets disproportionate to his income. He was laundering the illegal money by investing in various properties and parking funds in the name of his family members," read a statement issued by the ED.

The ED started the investigation against the four officials under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after the Anti Corruption Bureau of the Central Bureau of Investigation registered an FIR against them.

An ED officer said that Singh tried to turn his black money into white by showing sources of family income through tuition, tailoring, brokerage, commodity trading etc.

"His properties include bank and postal deposit certificates, and flats in Kolkata," said the officer.

(With inputs from Indian Express)