The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth ₹36.94 crore linked to former Uttar Pradesh Minister Gayatri Prajapati, his family members and their companies.
They include balance in 57 bank accounts and 60 immovable properties. The companies whose properties have been attached are allegedly MGA Colonizers Company, MGA Hospitality Services, MSA Infraventure, MGM Agrotech, Kanha Buildwell, Daya Builders, Excel Buildtech & Lifecure Medical and Research Centre and Guru Nanak Cold Storage.
The ED has also filed a chargesheet against Mr. Prajapati under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, alleging that he amassed properties in the name of his family members, ‘benami’ entities and the companies controlled through his sons and dummy directors.
In the affidavit filed by him for the 2012 Assembly polls, Mr. Prajapati had allegedly not disclosed his properties and details of his family members and their incomes. In the 2017 polls also, it is alleged that he concealed information related to his children.
During searches conducted earlier, the ED had found copies of sale deeds related to more than 100 properties in Lucknow, Kanpur, Amethi, Lonavala and Mumbai. It also questioned him.
The ED found that the former Minister’s daughters were students and were not into any business. However, their tax returns allegedly reflected substantial business income from property dealing and agriculture. It said ₹6.60 crore was deposited in his bank accounts and that of his family members and their companies after he became a Minister in the State government in 2013.
Mr. Prajapati’s sons and daughter-in-law had also declared ‘undisclosed’ income of ₹15.23 crore in 2016 and paid about ₹6.85 crore tax, the agency found. In order to distance himself from the ‘benami’ properties, the accused had got many of them declared before the Income-Tax authorities under the Income Declaration Scheme-2016, as alleged.
