Hyderabad: ED attaches 19 properties worth Rs 5.15 crore linked to GHMC officer in DA case

Hyderabad: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Hyderabad Zonal Office, has provisionally attached 19 immovable properties worth Rs 5.15 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with a disproportionate assets case against a Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) official.

The attached assets belong to Dacha Janardhan Mahesh, Town Planning Section Officer, GHMC, Secunderabad, and his family members. The properties include plots of land, shops, flats and residential premises, the ED said in a statement.

The ED initiated its probe based on an FIR registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Hyderabad, on April 4, 2016, under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

The FIR alleged that Mahesh had amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income while serving as Town Planning Section Officer, Circle-XVIII, GHMC.

Following investigation, the ACB filed a chargesheet on June 22, 2022, before the First Additional Special Judge for SPE & ACB Cases, Hyderabad. As per the chargesheet, Mahesh was found to be in possession of disproportionate assets to the tune of approximately ₹5.27 crore.

The ED investigation revealed that Mahesh allegedly acquired several immovable properties in his own name and in the names of his relatives using proceeds of crime, with sale considerations paid largely in cash.

To project these assets as legitimate, substantial cash deposits were reportedly made into bank accounts of Mahesh and his family members, which were later used for purchasing properties and meeting personal expenses.

The probe further revealed that proceeds of crime were allegedly used for the development and construction of a project named “Shree Indira Sadan,” with assistance from Mahesh’s cousin, K. B. Laxminarayana, a partner in M/s Maheshwari Constructions.

The Enforcement Directorate said further investigation in the case is in progress.