New Delhi (The Hawk): Abbas Ansari, the son of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, was detained by the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday in connection with a case involving the prevention of money laundering, according to authorities.
After nine hours of interrogation, he was arrested late on Friday evening.
The investigation agency had sufficiently significant evidence, according to the officials, on the basis of which he was arrested.
On the basis of numerous FIRs filed by the Uttar Pradesh Police, the ED launched a probe under the PMLA, 2002, against Mukhtar Ansari (Ex-MLA), and his aides.
During the investigation, it was discovered that Vikas Constructions (a partnership firm) was the subject of two further FIRs filed by the Uttar Pradesh Police for intruding on public or government property and building godowns there. The godowns were built in the UP districts of Mau and Ghazipur.
Afshan Ansari, the wife of Mukhtar Ansari, together with her two brothers Atif Raza and Anwar Shahzad, as well as Ravindra Narayan Singh and Zakir Hussain, ran the construction company Vikas Construction.
In one of the FIRs recorded in the Mau District of Uttar Pradesh, the UP Police had submitted a charge sheet in which all the partners of the company Vikas Construction were named as suspects.
The PMLA inquiry revealed that Vikas Construction illegally built godowns on public or government land in the UP districts of Mau and Ghazipur, where rent to the tune of Rs 15 crore was received by Food Corporation of India. Additionally, this rent was utilised to buy real estate under the names of Vikas Construction and Afshan Ansari.
The Directorate of Enforcement located these moveable properties and temporarily attached seven movable properties worth Rs. 1.48 crore.
At the time of registration, the circular rate for attached properties was Rs 3.42 crore.
(Inputs from Agencies)
