ED Freezes Assets Valued at Rs 92.7 Crore of Former RTO Constable Saurabh Sharma
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Synopsis
The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth Rs 92.07 crore linked to former Madhya Pradesh RTO constable Saurabh Sharma amidst a money laundering investigation. The assets, believed to be acquired through illicit means, include properties and funds derived from criminal activities.
Key Takeaways
- ED attaches assets of Saurabh Sharma worth Rs 92.07 crore.
- Assets acquired through money laundering linked to criminal activities.
- Sharma's associates are also implicated.
- Previous seizures include Rs 14.20 lakh in cash.
- Investigation continues with expected further developments.
Bhopal, March 26 (NationPress) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has frozen assets totaling Rs 92.07 crore belonging to ex-constable of the Madhya Pradesh Transport Department, Saurabh Sharma, as part of its investigation into a money laundering case, an official confirmed on Wednesday.
These assets, which include both movable and immovable properties, are said to represent the proceeds of crime accumulated by Sharma.
The ED has asserted that these properties were acquired either in Sharma's name or under the names of his relatives, associates, and businesses controlled by them.
The inquiry began following a First Information Report (FIR) lodged by the Lokayukta Police Establishment, Bhopal, which accused Sharma of amassing assets significantly disproportionate to his known income sources.
It was discovered that cash and gold seized from an Innova vehicle owned by one of his associates, Chetan Singh Gaur, were directly connected to Sharma.
Individuals involved include Sharad Jaiswal and companies such as Aviral Building Constructions Pvt Ltd, Aviral Enterprises Pvt Ltd, and U R Infrastructures Pvt Ltd.
The ED's investigation revealed a complex network through which Sharma acquired multiple properties using funds allegedly laundered via unsecured loans from unknown origins.
These funds were reportedly linked to criminal activities associated with scheduled offenses. Sharma, along with associates Gaur and Jaiswal, has been arrested and is currently in judicial custody.
Past enforcement measures have also resulted in the seizure of cash worth Rs 14.20 lakh, silver valued at Rs 9.17 lakh, and frozen bank accounts containing Rs 8.29 crore.
The total value of assets attached or seized now amounts to Rs 100.36 crore. As the investigation advances, further developments are expected.
Additionally, the Madhya Pradesh Police have filed an FIR against Saurabh Sharma and his mother for allegedly submitting a false affidavit claiming none of their family members held government jobs at the time of his appointment, which was secured on compensatory grounds due to his father's death in duty.
The complaint was initiated by a senior officer from the state transport department. Saurabh was appointed on October 29, 2016, and opted for voluntary retirement on June 9, 2023.
In a related matter, the ED's Indore Sub-Zonal Office has provisionally attached immovable properties valued at approximately Rs 95 lakh on March 25, 2025, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in an investigation connected to a disproportionate assets case against Ashok Sharma, the former Deputy Director of the Urban Administration Development Department in Indore and Ujjain.
The ED began its inquiry based on an FIR filed by the Special Police Establishment Lokayukta, Ujjain, under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for alleged possession of assets that are disproportionate to his known income sources, amounting to Rs 1.64 crore during the period from April 1, 1998, to January 17, 2010.
