Synopsis
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has interrogated former RTO constable Saurabh Sharma and his associates regarding a case involving disproportionate assets, following their arrest in late January. They remain in judicial custody while further investigations continue.Key Takeaways
- Saurabh Sharma and associates arrested for disproportionate assets.
- ED conducts extensive interrogations and raids.
- Over Rs 6 crore in fixed deposits linked to associates.
- Assets valued over Rs 23 crore discovered.
- Continued investigations into corrupt practices.
Bhopal, Feb 6 (NationPress) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has interrogated former RTO constable Saurabh Sharma along with his two associates, who were apprehended in a case involving disproportionate assets.
On Wednesday, an ED team arrived at Bhopal's central prison and interrogated Saurabh Sharma for several hours. The agency plans to question Sharma's partners -- Chetan Gaur and Sharad Jaiswal -- in the upcoming days.
It is important to note that Sharma and his associates, arrested on January 28 and 29, are currently under judicial custody until February 17.
They were presented in court by the MP Lokayukta Police after their seven-day police custody ended on Tuesday, which resulted in their transfer to judicial custody.
Additionally, the ED, along with the MP Lokayukta and Income Tax Department, executed two raids over the past two months (December and January) at several locations tied to Saurabh Sharma and his network of relatives, friends, and business associates.
The first raids occurred on December 27 of the previous year, targeting at least eight properties across the state, including Bhopal, Gwalior, and Jabalpur. The searches encompassed the residences of Saurabh Sharma, Chetan Singh Gaur, Sharad Jaiswal, and others.
According to previous statements from the ED, over Rs 6 crore in fixed deposits (FDs) was discovered under the name of Chetan Singh Gaur, alongside a bank balance exceeding Rs 4 crore linked to the family members and businesses of Saurabh Sharma.
The ED also seized documents related to immovable assets, revealing properties valued at over Rs 23 crore registered under various companies and family members of Saurabh Sharma.
Investigations indicated that these assets were purportedly acquired through illegal funds obtained via corrupt activities during Saurabh Sharma's tenure as a constable in the Transport Department.
On January 17, the ED conducted further raids across multiple locations including Pune, Gwalior, and Bhopal, uncovering cash and valuables amounting to Rs 52 lakh.
Previously, the ED had gathered statements from Chetan Singh, Saurabh's mother, and his wife.
The ED had summoned several other suspects like Sharad Jaiswal and Rohit Tiwari to appear at the office for their statements, but they failed to show up.
In a different operation, the Income Tax Department discovered over 52 kg of gold biscuits and cash worth Rs 11 crore from an abandoned vehicle in a forested area of Bhopal's Mendori region on December 19.
