Dehradun, Feb 18 (NationPress) - The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) from the Dehradun Sub-Zonal Office has provisionally attached properties, both movable and immovable, valued at Rs 13.89 crore as part of a money laundering probe connected to the alleged NH-74 widening scam in Uttarakhand, the agency confirmed on Wednesday.

This action falls under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, aimed at identifying and seizing proceeds of crime linked to fraudulent land compensation claims.

The ED's investigation was prompted by a First Information Report (FIR) lodged at the Pantnagar Police Station in the Udham Singh Nagar district, citing various sections of the Indian Penal Code concerning alleged discrepancies in land acquisition compensation.

Throughout the investigation, the ED discovered that accused individuals, including Dilbagh Singh, Jarnail Singh, son of Sunder Singh, Baljeet Kaur, wife of Pratap Singh, and Dalvinder Singh, son of Pratap Singh, had reportedly fraudulently secured back-dated orders under Section 143 of the Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950.

These back-dated orders were later incorporated into official revenue records at subsequent dates, allegedly in collusion with revenue officials and intermediaries, thus altering the classification of agricultural land.

Based on these manipulated documents, the accused reportedly received an excess compensation amounting to Rs 26,02,930 for land acquired for the expansion of National Highway-74. This compensation was calculated at non-agricultural rates, despite the land's original classification as agricultural, leading to significant financial losses for the government and unwarranted gains for the accused.

The ED’s PMLA investigation uncovered that the proceeds of crime were either held in the names of the accused or transferred to the bank accounts of their relatives and associates, in an effort to obscure the illegal funds.

After identifying the proceeds of crime, the agency issued a Provisional Attachment Order (PAO) to attach assets worth Rs 13.89 crore, which includes both movable and immovable properties associated with the accused and their affiliates.

This marks the fourth provisional attachment in the case, following three previous Provisional Attachment Orders linked to the same investigation.

The ED has also initiated seven prosecution complaints against various accused individuals before the Special Court (PMLA) in Dehradun as part of the ongoing legal proceedings.

Officials indicated that the investigation is ongoing, aiming to trace additional proceeds of crime, identify further beneficiaries, and fully establish the extent of the alleged fraud and collusion regarding land acquisition and compensation processes.