DA Case: Saurabh Sharma and Associates Appear in MP District Court
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Synopsis
On February 11, former RTO constable Saurabh Sharma and his aides Chetan Gaur and Sharad Jaiswal appeared in a Bhopal district court. The Enforcement Directorate seeks their custody for questioning amid an ongoing investigation into seized assets.
Key Takeaways
- Saurabh Sharma and aides presented in court.
- Enforcement Directorate seeks custody.
- 54 kg of gold and Rs 11 crore seized.
- Separate interrogations lasted six hours each.
- Investigation involves multiple agencies.
Bhopal, Feb 11 (NationPress) Former RTO constable Saurabh Sharma along with his two associates - Chetan Gaur and Sharad Jaiswal - was presented in the district court under heavy security on Tuesday.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has requested the custody of the accused for further questioning.
The ED, which has launched a parallel inquiry in conjunction with the Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta police and the Income Tax (I-T) Department, filed a motion with the court seeking the trio's custody. Previously, the ED had interrogated them twice at Bhopal Central Jail.
During these sessions, they were questioned separately for around six hours each.
Official sources indicated that the trio provided vague responses concerning the assets that were seized from their premises during the raids. Earlier, they claimed in court that the 54 kg of gold and other disproportionate assets confiscated by the investigative agencies did not belong to them.
It is significant to note that 54 kg of gold and Rs 11 crore were confiscated by the I-T Department during a raid that took place on December 19.
The gold was discovered in Chetan Singh Gaur's vehicle.
During questioning, Chetan stated that the car was utilized by Saurabh and his office staff.
Despite the fact that over a month has passed since the Lokayukta police reached out to both agencies for information related to the raids and seizures conducted during their investigations, the I-T department has yet to submit a motion to the court regarding this matter.
Sources have revealed that the I-T department will commence the process once the ED's interrogation is completed.
The Lokayukta police have requested details regarding the items taken during the raids, including substantial amounts of cash, gold, and property documents, to assist in property valuation for their investigation.
During their respective raids, the I-T Department confiscated gold bars and Rs 11 crore in cash from a vehicle owned by Chetan Singh.
The ED discovered cash, bank deposits, and valuables amounting to Rs 42 crore, along with undervalued property documentation. Furthermore, Lokayukta police seized diaries, laptops, pen drives, and property papers during their raids.
