ED attaches former Haryana CM O P Chautala's properties worth Rs 3.68 cr in DA case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday attached properties worth Rs 3.68 crore belonging to former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala in connection with a disproportionate assets case against him.

"The immovable properties having total worth Rs 3.68 crore include flat, plot, residential house, and land, were attached under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)," said ED in a statement.

"During the investigation, it was revealed that Om Prakash Chautala had acquired immovable properties at New Delhi, Panchkula and also constructed a residential house at Sirsa, Haryana, out of the money received from undisclosed sources," the ED said.

According to ED, Chautala was directly involved in the acquisition and projection of various tainted properties as his untainted properties.

 

"He had also disclosed properties so acquired in the affidavit filed before returning officer in Haryana Vidhan Sabha Election 2005 and 2009 thereby projecting publicly the tainted properties as untainted," the ED said.

The financial investigators had initiated probe under PMLA on the basis of an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the charge sheet filed by it against Chautala and his sons Abhay and Ajay Chautala under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) read with Section 13 (2) read with 13(1) (e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

"CBI's investigation revealed that Om Prakash Chautala had allegedly acquired assets disproportionate to his known source of income to the tune of Rs 6 crore approximately during from 1993 to 2006," the ED said.

The investigation also revealed that Abhay Chautala and Ajay Chautala had also allegedly acquired assets disproportionate to their known sources of income to the tune of Rs 119 crore and Rs 27 crore respectively.

Earlier, in this case, the ED had attached properties of Om Prakash Chautala to the tune of Rs 46 lakh in 2013, which has been confirmed by the adjudicating authority. Further investigation is under progress.