ED arrests former IAS officer in Chhattisgarh on money laundering charges

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested former IAS officer Babulal Agrawal from Chhattisgarh in a money laundering case that is linked to charges of corruption and disproportionate assets against him, the agency said.

“He was arrested from his residence in Raipur on Monday and was produced before a special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court, and the court sent him to ED custody till November 12,” it said.

Agrawal, a 1988-batch IAS officer, has served as a principal secretary in the Chhattisgarh government and was also arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the past on charges of corruption.

Investigation under PMLA revealed that Babulal Agrawal played an active role for splitting the tender contracts related to World Bank aided Malaria Control Program and awarding them to certain non-existing entities and thereby causing loss to the exchequer and pecuniary benefit to himself.

Further, it has been revealed that in connivance with his CA Sunil Agrawal and his brother Ashok Agrawal and Pawan Agrawal, opened more than 400 bank accounts in the name of gullible villagers of Kharora and its nearby villages, wherein cash to the tune of approximately Rs. 46 Crores was deposited and the same was laundered through shell companies opened by his CA, Sunil Agrawal and other entities, which was ultimately parked in M/s Prime Ispat Ltd, Raipur as investment in shares.

ED has already attached properties to the tune of Rs 36.09 Crores which includes assets of the company of M/s Prime Ispat Ltd, Raipur and the properties of Babulal Agrawal. Earlier, Sunil Agrawal, CA of Sh. Babulal Agrawal was also arrested by ED in PMLA case.