LUCKNOW: A total of Rs 75 lakh in cash and documents were seized in searches that started on Wednesday at various locations linked to jailed gangster Atiq Ahmed by the Enforcement Directorate.
The searches, that continued till Thursday, also led to seizure of documents related to nearly 200 bank accounts and 50 shell entities suspected to have been used for laundering ill-gotten money collected as proceeds of crime.
Cash transactions worth more than Rs 50 crore have also been detected in the searches and were being verified. Searches were conducted at 15 premises in Prayagraj (UP) belonging to gangster Atiq Ahmed and his associates.
Those searched included his relative Khalid Zafar, his advocate-cum-accomplice Saulat Hanif Khan, his associates Asad, Vadood Ahmad, Kali, Mohsin, CA Sabeeh Ahmad, CA Asif Jafri, Seetaram Shukla (accountant), real estate developers Sanjeev Aggarwal and Deepak Bhargav.
ED sources added that documents of over 100 properties in the name of Atiq Ahmed’s close associates and firms have also been found. These properties are suspected to be Atiq Ahmed’s benami properties.
"Cash transactions worth more than 50 crores have also been unearthed in the searches. Documents of properties (forcibly) purchased from farmers apparently through criminal intimidation have also been found,” added the sources.
ED had registered a case of PMLA, 2002 against Atiq Ahmed and his family members in 2021. ED had attached property worth Rs 10 crore of the don in the past. A list of his acquaintances and accomplices is being compiled and searches will be conducted in the coming time.
