Property of former DTO attached under PMLA

In a decisive step against corruption by a government employee, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Shimla, has provisionally attached an immovable property owned by Satish Kumar, a former district treasury officer (DTO), Nahan, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

As per the ED's probe, the officer utilised proceeds of crime to purchase a plot measuring 200 sq yards at Sunny Enclave, Kharar which was valued at a whopping Rs 1.84 crore.

ED initiated an investigation following registration of an FIR by the Nahan police against Kumar under various sections of the IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. A charge sheet was filed in the case on May 31, 2023, after completing the investigation and Kumar was later convicted by the special Judge, Sirmaur at Nahan for the said offences.

ED investigation revealed that Satish Kumar, while serving as DTO Nahan from 2012–2018, fraudulently manipulated the e-pension software to divert pension funds into multiple bank accounts held in his, his wife and children’s account. A whopping Rs 1.68 crore meant for 95 pensioners was illegally credited to these accounts.

The probe established that Satish Kumar utilised the proceeds of crime to purchase a residential property at Sunny Enclave, Mohali, thereby projecting the tainted funds as untainted. The property valued at Rs 1.84 cr has been provisionally attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act while further investigation is under progress stated an ED official.