Guwahati, March 9: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken significant action against IAS officer Indreshwar Kalita, a former secretary of the Assam government’s Excise Department, in a case involving disproportionate assets. The ED has temporarily seized six immovable properties valued at ₹5.64 crore under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The investigation was initiated based on an FIR filed by the Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell (CMSVC) against Kalita under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. He is accused of possessing assets beyond his known sources of income.
According to the charges filed by the CMSVC, during the investigation period from March 1, 2000, to December 31, 2018, Kalita acquired assets worth ₹5.64 crore, which is 131.12% more than his legitimate income.
The ED’s investigation revealed that Kalita acquired several properties either in his name or in the names of his wife and other family members, with no apparent source of income to justify such acquisitions.
Officials indicated that this was done to conceal the actual ownership and the sources of funds used for purchasing the properties. Investigators also found that the registered sale deeds for the properties deliberately understated their values to hide the actual amounts spent in the transactions.
Further investigation uncovered that between 2015 and 2018, Kalita constructed a G+4 commercial-residential building in partnership with his wife and a relative. Allegedly, the relative acted merely as a nominal partner without any financial risk or income.
The estimated cost of constructing this building was approximately ₹4.46 crore. The ED reported that this property now generates a substantial monthly rental income, which is being used to repay bank loans, thereby allegedly integrating the proceeds of crime into the legitimate financial system.
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