ED attaches Rs 5.6 crore assets linked to former Assam excise secretary Indreswar Kalita in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached immovable assets worth more than Rs 5.6 crore in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to disproportionate assets against former Assam Excise Department secretary and IAS officer Indreswar Kalita.

According to an official statement issued on Monday, the action follows a case registered on the basis of an FIR filed by the Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell (CMSVC) against Kalita. The vigilance investigation alleged that during the check period from March 1, 2000 to December 31, 2018, Kalita accumulated assets far exceeding his known sources of income.

The chargesheet filed by the CMSVC stated that Kalita possessed disproportionate assets amounting to Rs 5.64 crore, which constituted about 131.12 per cent more than his known income during the relevant period.

As part of the probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the ED issued a provisional attachment order to seize six immovable properties linked to the case. Among them is a property located on Zoo Road in Guwahati, valued at Rs 5.64 crore.

The ED alleged that Kalita acquired several immovable properties either in his own name or in the names of his wife and other family members without corresponding legitimate income sources. Investigators further claimed that the transactions were structured to conceal the true ownership and origin of funds.

According to the agency, the properties were deliberately registered at undervalued consideration amounts in sale deeds in order to hide the actual cash used for their purchase and obscure the beneficial ownership. The investigation into the case is ongoing.