Enforcement Directorate Freezes Assets Valued at Rs 47 Lakh in Disproportionate Assets Inquiry
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New Delhi, Jan 3 (NationPress) The Gurugram Zonal Office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached four immovable properties valued at Rs 47 lakh located in the Faridabad district of Haryana and the Ludhiana district of Punjab, owned by Harjeet Singh Puri and his wife Arvinderjeet Kaur, in relation to a case of disproportionate assets under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, as confirmed by an ED official.
The ED's investigation commenced following an FIR lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under section 13(2) in conjunction with section 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, concerning the disproportionate assets held by Harjeet Singh Puri and his spouse in relation to their declared income sources.
Findings from the ED's investigation indicated that Harjeet Singh Puri, serving as the Chief General Manager (CGM) of Finance at the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation, exploited his authority and position, engaging in corruption and bribery to amass assets that are inconsistent with his declared income, thus committing an offense under section 13(2) in conjunction with 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, consequently generating proceeds of crime.
The aggregate value of the disproportionate assets is estimated to exceed Rs 1.04 crore beyond the known income of Harjeet Singh Puri and Arvinderjeet Kaur.
Throughout the ED's investigation, four immovable properties valued at approximately Rs 47 lakh registered under the names of the aforementioned individuals were identified and provisionally attached.
Further inquiries into this case are ongoing.
The ED is a multi-disciplinary body tasked with investigating money laundering offenses and violations of foreign exchange regulations. Its statutory responsibilities include enforcing the following statutes:
The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) is a criminal legislation established to avert money laundering and to facilitate the confiscation of property derived from or involved in money laundering activities, along with related or incidental matters.
The ED has been assigned the duty of enforcing the provisions of the PMLA by investigating and tracing assets obtained from proceeds of crime, provisionally attaching properties, and ensuring the prosecution of offenders along with the confiscation of properties by the Special Court.
