The Enforcement Directorate has accused the former Haryana Chief Minister OM Prakash Chautala in a case of disproportionate asset and money laundering case. The properties that have been declared illicit include a flat, a plot, a residential house and land in New Delhi, Panchkula, and Sirsa worth an amount of 3.68 crore. Om Prakash Chautala is the president of the Indian National Lok Dal. He was the Haryana Chief Minister from 1994 to 2005.
The mentioned properties have been marked under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). The ED has also said that OM Prakash Chautala was directly involved in the acquisition of these properties. The agency has said that four immovable properties fall under the disproportionate asset. The investigation under PMLA was done on the basis of an FIR registered by the Central Bureau Investigation department. The charge sheet was filed against the former Haryana CM, and his sons, Abhay Chautala and Ajay Chautala under section 309 of the Indian Penal code and Prevention of Corruption Act 1998.
ED said, “CBI’s investigation has revealed that Om Prakash Chautala had allegedly acquired assets disproportionate to his known source of income to the tune of Rs 6 crore between May 24, 1993 and May 31, 2006”. Furthermore the investigation by CBI also revealed that Abhay Chautala and Ajay Chautala have allegedly acquired assets that are disproportionate to their source of income. The total amount from the asset is 119 crore while the income estimation is 27 crore.
The probe agency also mentioned “Investigation also revealed that Chautala was directly involved in acquisition and projecting various tainted properties as his untainted properties. He had also disclosed properties so acquired in the affidavit filed before returning officer in the Haryana Assembly polls in 2005 and 2009, thereby, projecting publicly the tainted properties as untainted,”
Om Prakash Chautala in the past has been charged with disproportionate asset. In 2013 the ED had attached properties with total amount of 46, 96,000 and it was confirmed by an adjudicating authority. A chargesheet has been filed before a special court in July, 2018. The total attachment case against the Lok Dal President is 4.15 crore.
The problems of the opposition are never ending. Leaders from oppositions are being investigated under Money laundering and disproportionate asset. Recently, raids on properties of MP CM Kamal Nath’s aides by the IT department revealed huge amount of money that were illicitly going in the campaign proceedings. Now, the Lok Dal President is caught by the Enforcement Directorate for the disproportionate asset held by him and his sons.
