New Delhi, Feb 21 A day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached the properties of two Maoist leaders in Bihar and Jharkhand, the central probe agency on Friday again attached properties worth Rs 1.15 crore of several other Maoist leaders in Bihar in a money laundering case.
The ED said that it has properties belonging to Arvind Yadav, an active member and leader of banned left-wing extremist CPI-Maoist, and his family under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The central financial probe agency said that the attached assets are in the name of Yadav's family members Hamia Devi, Binod Yadav, Birendra Yadav, Nunwati Devi, Kusumi Devi, Madhumita Kumari, Manju Kumari Rani, Gayatri Devi, so as to project them as untainted.
The attached properties include a truck valued ovr Rs 11 lakh, and about 14 acres of land.
The ED has registered a case of money laundering on the basis of 61 FIRs lodged in various police stations of Bihar. It said that in some of these cases, charge sheets have also been filed against Yadav and his family members under various sections of Indian Penal Code, Arms Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Criminal Law Amendment Act for their involvement in illegal activities including collection of levy and extortion in Bihar.
An ED officer said that Yadav has been declared as an absconder in the charge sheet filed by the Bihar Police.
The agency also said that during probe it was revealed that there were huge deposits of cash in the bank accounts of Arvind Yadav and his family members, who have no other legitimate source of income.
"This ill-gotten money was utilised for acquiring movable/immovable properties. No income tax returns were filed by any of the members during investment period," the agency said.
( With inputs from IANS )