MP: ED Seizes Cash After Raids In Money Laundering Case Linked To Illegal Sale Of Government Land

Dhar (Madhya Pradesh): Cash of about Rs 26 lakh and some "incriminating" documents were seized after raids were carried out in Dhar district as part of a money laundering probe into the alleged illegal sale of state government land worth more than Rs 151 crore, the Enforcement Directorate said on Saturday.

The searches were carried out at eight premises in the said district early this week under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), it said in a statement.

The money laundering case stems from a Madhya Pradesh Police FIR in a case of "illegal alienation of the lands of the state government by Sudhir Ratnakar Peter Das and others in connivance with each other."

The land in question was given by the then Maharaja of Dhar, Anand Rao Pawar, to Dr Margerate O'Hara of the Canadian Presbyterian Mission for the sole purpose of setting up a women's hospital and residential facility for doctors, the ED said.

The accused "in connivance with each other" illegally alienated several acres of prime land belonging to the state government, and as of date, the market value of these land parcels is estimated to be more than Rs 151 crore, it said.

"These lands were alienated and were subsequently sold to various accused persons, causing massive losses to the state government," the agency said.

Cash of about Rs 26 lakh, details of illegally acquired immovable properties, and "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches, it said.