Money-laundering case: ED files supplementary chargesheet against Chautala, names immovable assets

New Delhi, April 25

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a supplementary chargesheet against former Haryana chief minister OP Chautala in connection with a money-laundering case on Thursday.

The agency mentioned in the chargesheet that immovable assets worth Rs 3.68 crore were attached by it on April 13 in relation to four properties in Delhi, Panchkula and Sirsa.

It said the investigation conducted so far under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) had revealed that Chautala laundered the disproportionate assets by depositing illegal cash in the bank accounts of his and his family members.

The ED said this was done to avoid the back trail of money, merge the illegal cash with genuine income and show it as untainted. This laundered money was further used to purchase new properties or carry out construction on the already acquired properties.

The chargesheet was filed before special judge Kamini Lau, who posted the matter for consideration on May 16.

Referring to Chautala's affidavits filed before the 2005 and 2009 Haryana Assembly polls, the agency said he had disclosed his assets to publicly project the tainted properties as untainted.

"During the period between May 24, 1993 and May 5, 2006, OP Chautala, while functioning as a public servant (the CM of Haryana), allegedly acquired assets disproportionate to his income to the tune of Rs 6,09,79,026. The value of the disproportionate assets acquired by OP Chautala is in the form of various movable and immovable properties which constitutes 'proceeds of crime' in this case.

"The calculation of these accumulated disproportionate assets of Chautala was based on oral and documentary evidence collected by the CBI during investigation and included all sources of income and expenses. Chautala had invested these disproportionately acquired assets mainly in the following properties, a portion of which was used to purchase new properties and the rest was used to carry out construction activity on the already acquired properties," the chargesheet said.

It added that it was suspected that there were more properties involved in money laundering that needed to be unearthed as there were many people who were yet to join the investigation.

The ED told the court that the investigation in the case was in progress.

"It is established that OP Chautala is involved in activities connected to proceeds of crime, including its concealment, possession, acquisition and projecting the proceeds of crime as untainted property and thus, shall be guilty of the offence of money laundering," it said.

The agency had earlier informed the court that disproportionate assets worth Rs 6.09 crore were "illegally generated" by Chautala between May 1993 and May 2006 through corruption and were projected as untainted property by utilising those in the construction and acquisition of movable assets.

Chautala is currently serving a jail term for illegally recruiting 3,206 Junior Basic Trained (JBT) teachers in Haryana in 2000.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had on March 26, 2010, named the former Haryana chief minister in a chargesheet, indicting him for allegedly possessing assets worth Rs 6.09 crore. The ED had filed a separate case based on the CBI's FIR. PTI