Disproportionate Assets case: Vizag ED attaches assets worth Rs 1.09 crore linked to ex-VUDA urban planner

Hyderabad: Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Visakhapatnam Sub-Zonal Office, has provisionally attached movable/immovable assets valued at Rs 1.09 crore regarding disproportionate assets acquired by Pasuparthy Pradeep Kumar, former Additional Chief Urban Planner, Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA).

As part of the probe, the attachment has been

The attached properties, made under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, are in the name of Pasuparthy Pradeep Kumar, his wife, his uncle and benami, Kona Simhadri, in the form of residential flats, plots and bank balances.

What is the case about?

The ED initiated an investigation based on the FIR registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Vijayawada and a chargesheet filed against Pasuparthy Pradeep Kumar for possessing assets disproportionate to the known sources of his income.

As per the said FIR and chargesheet, Pasuparthy Pradeep Kumar joinedthe Government Service in 1984 and worked in various positions before being promoted as Joint Director and posted to VUDA as Additional Chief Urban Planner in January 2018.

Pasuparthy Pradeep Kumar abused his official position during the offence period (July 2005–January 2018) and acquired movable/immovable properties in his name and in the names of his family members/relatives and benamis from unknown sources of income.

The DA amount calculated by ACB, Vijayawada, as mentioned in the chargesheet, is Rs. 1.85 crore approx.

Illegal income distributed among benamis

ED investigation revealed that Pasuparthy Pradeep Kumar attempted to conceal his illicit income by depositing it in various accounts held in his name or in the names of his family members.

The money earned via commission of a scheduled offence was deposited in cash and was later used for the acquisition and possession of various movable or immovable properties and projected as untainted money.

The PMLA investigation revealed that the total proceeds of crime in the case is at Rs 2.94 crore approx., which is more than the DA amount calculated by the predicate agency. Accordingly, properties worth Rs 1.09 crore, i.e. of the differential amount, have been attached during PMLA investigation.

Further investigation is in progress.