Lucknow: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) filed a prosecution complaint (PC) in the case of Atiq Ahmed and others before the Special Court (PMLA), Lucknow, UP, against Shaista Parveen, wife of late Atiq Ahmed, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, pertaining to a case involving a multi-crore extortion racket.
The Special Court has taken cognizance of the PC on May 14, ED said in a press release. ED initiated an investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by CBI under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, against Atiq Ahmed and others for criminal offences related to extortion, cheating, forgery, and illegal acquisition of assets.
Later, the scope of the money laundering investigation was expanded to include several FIRs filed at various police stations for criminal offences related to murder, extortion, cheating, forgery, land grabbing, and crimes of a similar nature.
During the investigation, in order to trace further proceeds of crime acquired by Atiq Ahmed and his associates, it came to notice that Atiq Ahmed and his associates were investing their ill-gotten money acquired through illegal activities in purchasing immovable properties. It was also found that these immovable properties were registered in the names of various other persons/benami holders to avoid detection by government agencies/tax authorities.
Earlier, ED had attached movable and immovable properties worth Rs. 8.14 crore belonging to Late Atiq Ahmed and Shaista Parveen vide Provisional Attachment Order (PAO) dated December 13, 2021. The attached properties include land situated at Tehsil Phulpur, Allahabad, registered in the name of Shaista Parveen, and a combined balance of Rs. 1.28 crore lying in 10 bank accounts of Atiq Ahmed and one bank account of Shaista Parveen.
Further, in April and June 2023, a total no. of 27 premises linked to associates of Atiq Ahmed were searched by ED. These operations led to the seizure of cash amounting to Rs. 1.15 crore, gold, jewellery valued at Rs. 6 crore, and numerous other incriminating records.
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