New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS) The Gurugram Zonal Office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached four immovable properties worth Rs 47 lakh situated at Faridabad district of Haryana and Ludhiana district of Punjab, belonging to Harjeet Singh Puri and his wife Arvinderjeet Kaur in connection with a disproportionate assets case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, an ED official said.
The ED has started an investigation in connection with the case based on an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under section 13(2) read with section 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, related to disproportionate assets owned by Harjeet Singh Puri and his wife on their known sources of income.
The ED investigation revealed that Harjeet Singh Puri, the Chief General Manager (CGM), Finance, National Hydroelectric Power Corporation misused his power and position, and was involved in corruption and bribery to acquire assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, by committing an offence under section 13(2) read with 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, thereby, generating the proceeds of crime.
The total value of disproportionate assets is estimated to be worth around Rs 1.04 crore over and above the known sources of income of Harjeet Singh Puri and Arvinderjeet Kaur.
During the ED investigation, four immovable properties worth around Rs 47 lakh registered in the name of the above persons were found which have been provisionally attached.
Further investigation into the case is underway.
The ED is a multi-disciplinary organisation mandated with the investigation of the offence of money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws. The statutory functions of the Directorate include the enforcement of the following Acts:
The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) is a criminal law enacted to prevent money laundering and to provide for confiscation of property derived from, or involved in, money laundering and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
The ED has been given the responsibility to enforce the provisions of the PMLA by investigating to trace the assets derived from proceeds of crime, provisionally attaching the property and ensuring prosecution of the offenders and confiscation of the property by the Special court.
–IANS
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