Odisha: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday said it has attached assets worth Rs 1.88 crore of a former sanitation worker of the Odisha government in a PMLA case. The properties belong to Lingaraj Jena, an ex ‘safai mohareer’ (cleaning assistant), who was posted in the office of the Additional Sub-Collector (Basti) in the Puri district.
The ED’s money laundering case comes up from a ‘disproportionate assets case’ filed against Lingaraj Jena by the Odisha Vigilance Directorate. The charge sheet filed by the Vigilance Directorate states that Jena was in possession of illegal assets worth Rs 1.88 crore which were disproportionate to his known sources of income. His family members were also in charge of some of these illegal properties.
During the ED’s probe in the case registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), it was found that Jena had earned the illegal money by indulging in criminal activities, and stashed and invested it in the acquisition of various properties. Further investigations are on in this case.