New Delhi, Jul 18 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said it has filed a chargesheet against Uttarakhand Congress leader and former minister Harak Singh Rawat and his wife, apart from some others, in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged usurping of two land parcels in Dehradun, the market value of which is more than Rs 70 crore.
The federal probe agency said in a statement that the prosecution complaint was filed before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PLA) court in state capital Dehradun.
The accused named in the chargesheet include Harak Singh Rawat, his wife Deepti Rawat, his alleged associate Birendra Singh Kandari, Laxmi Singh Rana and the Smt. Poorna Devi Memorial Trust.
Rawat (64) is a former forest minister of Uttarakhand. He quit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2022 Assembly polls in the hill state and joined the Congress.
The PMLA case of the ED stems from an FIR of the Uttarakhand Police filed against Deepti Rawat and Laxmi Singh Rana, who are alleged to have registered land in their name in a “conspiracy” hatched by Kandari, Harak Singh Rawat, late Sushila Rani and some others.
“Despite the clear order of the Hon’ble Court, Sushila Rani in a conspiracy with other persons registered two powers of attorney for lands situated at Sahaspur, Dehradun.
“These lands were sold by power of attorney holder Birendra Singh Kandari, a close associate of Harak Singh Rawat, to Deepti Rawat and Laxmi Singh Rana for an amount which was much below the circle rates prevailing in that area,” the ED said.
The land plots purchased by Deepti Rawat are now part of the Doon Institute of Medical Science (run by the Smt. Poorna Devi Memorial Trust), which is “controlled” by the family and friends of Harak Singh Rawat, the agency added.
The ED attached the two plots of land, measuring 101 bighas, in January under the PMLA. The two immovable assets are worth Rs 6.56 crore but their current market value is more than Rs 70 crore, according to the agency. PTI NES RC
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