New Delhi, Feb 6 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has attached immovable assets worth Rs 40 lakh of a former administrative official of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and his wife as part of a money laundering investigation against them.
A provisional order for attaching the two properties of Jayaprakash J and Sreeja Jayaprakash located in the Kollam district has been issued on Wednesday under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the agency said in a statement.
The money laundering case stems from an FIR of the Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau filed against Jayaprakash, former administrative officer of the Nilackal Devaswom, and other officials of the TDB.
The Nilakkal Mahadeva Temple, located in Nilakkal town of Pathanamthitta district in Kerala, serves as the base camp for the Sabarimala pilgrimage and is administered by the TDB under which falls the Nilackal Devaswom.
The police complaint alleged that during the Mandala Makaravilakku festival (the annual two-month event linked to the Sabarimala temple pilgrimage) in 2018-19, “forged” bills and invoices were created in the name of a company named J P Traders, leading to the sanction of funds worth more than Rs 59.98 lakh from Devaswom funds.
Only one cheque of Rs 8.20 lakh was legitimately paid to the actual supplier. The remaining three cheques were “fraudulently” encashed, resulting in “misappropriation” of Rs 51.77 lakh with the assistance of co-accused, the agency said.
Jayaprakash is alleged to have got over Rs 40.48 lakh from these funds (out of Rs 51.77 lakh), the agency claimed. PTI NES RHL
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