ED attaches Rs 3.56-cr assets of Customs deputy commissioner

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said it has attached assets worth Rs 3.56 crore of a deputy commissioner-rank officer of the Customs department in a money laundering and alleged disproportionate assets case filed against him. The properties include Rs 47.58 lakh in banks, mutual funds of Rs 91.75 lakh, insurance policies of Rs 74 lakh, land in Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district valued at Rs 52.43 lakh, a flat in Patna worth Rs 35 lakh, Rs 40.33 lakh worth of jewellery and Rs 14.50 lakh cash that was seized from the officer, who the agency identified with his first name Shashikant.

The provisional order for the attachment of the assets, in the name of the officer and his family, was issued by the ED and the total value of the properties is Rs 3.56 crore. The agency in a statement said the officer is being probed in a case of "acquisition of disproportionate assets beyond known sources of income by a public servant."

The ED said it filed a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against the officer based on a reference received from the CVC and a CBI FIR filed against the officer earlier. During investigation it was found that the officer had acquired various immovable and movable properties out of the "illegally earned money" during his service with the Central Excise and Customs Department as an appraiser and as assistant commissioner and deputy commissioner, the agency said.

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