Synopsis
The Enforcement Directorate has provisionally attached assets worth Rs 32.57 lakh linked to individuals in Sikkim due to fraudulent activities related to the Indian Himalayan Centre for Adventure and Eco-Tourism, as per the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.Key Takeaways
- ED has attached assets worth Rs 32.57 lakh.
- Action pertains to fraudulent siphoning from IHCAE.
- Investigation initiated based on an FIR from 2016.
- Assets include land and bank balances.
- ED aims to protect public funds from illegal acquisitions.
Gangtok, Feb 6 (NationPress) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has temporarily frozen both movable and immovable assets valued at Rs 32.57 lakh belonging to certain individuals in compliance with the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, as reported by official sources on Thursday.
The ED officials from the Gangtok Sub-Zonal office have provisionally attached assets worth Rs 32.57 lakh owned by Narendra Kumar Chettri, his spouse Jayanti Thapa, and others, citing the provisions of the PMLA, 2002.
This action is related to the fraudulent diversion of funds from the Indian Himalayan Centre for Adventure and Eco-Tourism (IHCAE), located in Chemchey, South Sikkim.
The ED began its investigation following an FIR filed on June 13, 2016, by the Sikkim Vigilance Police against Narendra Kumar Chettri, who, during his role as Assistant Director-cum-Principal of IHCAE, was discovered to have unlawfully issued cheques totaling Rs 1.36 crore to unauthorized individuals without proper documentation, according to sources from the investigating agency.
Chettri is alleged to have transferred funds to private entities, including his wife Jayanti Thapa, and subsequently withdrew cash without any legitimate business dealings.
The temporarily frozen assets include immovable property consisting of a 0.1280-hectare plot of land in South Sikkim owned by Narendra Chettri, along with movable assets such as bank account balances from ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, SBI, and HDFC Bank, summing up to Rs 7.77 lakh in various individuals' names.
Investigation under the PMLA is ongoing, with continued efforts to trace the remaining proceeds of crime and identify the individuals involved. The ED is dedicated to ensuring that properties and assets obtained through illegal means are identified and secured to prevent their disposal, thereby protecting public funds, the sources added.
Further investigations are underway. IHCAE operates under the Sikkim Tourism Department and is situated in Chemchey, South district.
