Friday, 09 February 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Investigation reveals criminal conspiracy which resulted in loss amounting to crores of rupees to government
The search operations conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at 17 locations in Uttarakhand, Delhi and Haryana on Wednesday resulted in a considerable quantity of cash and valuables. The ED investigation has also revealed criminal conspiracy by two men along with former Forest minister and Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat to purchase a land on which a medical institute was established.
According to information provided by the ED, during the search operations carried out on Wednesday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in the case of Birendra Singh Kandari, Brij Bihari Sharma, Kishan Chand and others, cash amounting to about Rs 1.10 crore and 1.3 kilogrammes gold valued at about Rs 80 lakh, foreign currency amounting to about Rs 10 lakh, bank lockers, digital devices, voluminous documents pertaining to immovable properties were recovered and seized. The ED initiated investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by Uttarakhand Police under various sections of IPC against Birendra Singh Kandari and others. Investigation by the directorate revealed that accused persons Birendra Singh Kandari, close associate of Rawat, and Narendra Kumar Walia, in a criminal conspiracy with Rawat had got registered two powers of attorney of a land for which the court has cancelled the sale deed.
Further, the accused persons had illegally sold the said land to Rawat’s wife Deepti Rawat and Laxmi Singh whereon the Doon Institute of Medical Science, Dehradun was constructed under Shrimati Poorna Devi Memorial Trust. The ED also initiated investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by Vigilance Establishment Dehradun against Brij Bihari Sharma, Kishan Chand and others under various sections of IPC, Forest Conservation Act, Wild Life (Protection) Act and PC Act, 1988. The investigation revealed that accused Kishan Chand, the then divisional forest officer and Brij Bihari Sharma, the then forest ranger in a criminal conspiracy with others bureaucrats and Rawat, the then Forest minister managed to publish tender of a higher amount than the authorised financial powers which was not as per the rules/guidelines of Uttarakhand government. They also fabricated documents and misused the funds under head of Tiger Conservation Foundation and CAMPA head and caused a wrongful loss in crores of rupees to Uttarakhand government and illegal cutting of more than 6,000 trees against 163 trees. Further investigation is under progress, the ED stated.
