ED attaches asset valued at Rs 1.09 crore in corruption case

Visakhapatnam, Dec 24 The Enforcement Directorate (ED), on Wednesday, provisionally attached movable/immovable assets valued at Rs 1.09 crore in connection with an investigation regarding disproportionate assets acquired by Pasuparthy Pradeep Kumar, former Additional Chief Urban Planner of the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority.

The properties attached by ED's Visakhapatnam Sub-Zonal office under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, are in the name of Pasuparthy Pradeep Kumar, his wife and others in the form of residential flats, plots and bank balances.

The central probe agency said in a statement that it initiated investigation on the basis of FIR registered by the Vijayawada Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and a charge sheet was filed against Pasuparthy Pradeep Kumar under Sections 13(1)(e) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for possessing assets disproportionate to the known sources of his income.

As per the said FIR and charge sheet, Pasuparthy Pradeep Kumar joined government service in the year 1984 and worked in various positions before being promoted as the Joint Director and posted to Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority as Additional Chief Urban Planner in January 2018, the ED added.

Pasuparthy Pradeep Kumar abused his official position during the offence period (July 2005-January 2018) and acquired movable/immovable properties in his name and in the names of his family members/relatives and benamis from unknown sources of income, the central agency said.

The disproportionate assets amount calculated by Vijayawada ACB, as mentioned in the charge sheet is nearly Rs. 1.85 crore.

The ED investigation said that Pasuparthy Pradeep Kumar attempted to conceal his illicit income by depositing it in various accounts held in his name or in the names of his family members.

The money earned via commission of scheduled offence was deposited in cash and was later used for the acquisition and possession of various movable or immovable properties and projected as untainted money.

The PMLA investigation revealed that the total proceeds of crime in the case is nearly Rs 2.94 crore, which is more than the disproportionate assets amount calculated by the predicate agency.

Accordingly, properties worth Rs 1.09 crore, that is, of the differential amount, have been attached during the PMLA investigation.

Further investigation is under progress, the ED added.

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