PDS Foodgrain Scam: ED Attaches Assets Worth Rs4.06 Crore of India Mega Agro Anaj, Ajay Baheti and His Family
Moneylife Digital Team 03 June 2024
The enforcement directorate (ED) has attached immovable assets worth Rs4.06 crore from Hingoli, Yavatmal and Nanded districts, among other areas across Maharashtra, in the public distribution system (PDS) foodgrain scam case of India Mega Agro Anaj Ltd. The attached assets include immovable properties acquired by India Mega Agro Anaj, its promoters Ajay Chandraprakash Baheti and his family members, ED says.
 
The ED’s Nagpur unit attached the assets on 30th May under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
 
ED initiated an investigation based on the first information report (FIR) and charge-sheets filed by Maharashtra police in Nanded district under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which revealed illegal transportation of essential commodities of wheat and rice from the godown of Food Corporation of India (FCI) at Jawahar Nagar Tuppa to India Mega Agro Anaj.
 
ED said Ajay Baheti, the owner of India Mega Agro Anaj was part of a ‘elaborate conspiracy’ with the whole machinery of PDS, such as truck-drivers, truck-owners, the district place representatives taking delivery, godown keepers at the tehsil place and in districts of Nanded and Hingoli, contractors who transport rationing grains, their representatives, owners of various trading companies and middlemen and misappropriated food grains meant for public distribution at subsidised rates, for personal usage.
 
“Forensic audit report revealed that the accused Mr Baheti, manipulated the books of accounts of his company to create a paper trail for the tainted transactions and to project the diverted grains constituting the proceeds of the crime as untainted,” the agency says.
 
ED investigation further revealed that Ajay Baheti used a network of fictitious trading companies in the names of their employees, and bank accounts were opened in those names.
 
The total diversion of foodgrains worth Rs55.27 crore from FCI godowns to India Mega Agro Anaj was estimated as 'proceeds of crime' during ED investigations based on the aggregation of the payments made by Ajay Baheti against the bogus grain purchases from various shell entities during check period January 2018 to July 2018.
 
On 24 June 2021, ED’s Nagpur office arrested Ajay Chandraprakash Baheti. A prosecution complaint was filed in August 2021 in this case.
Comments
trivenipapercup
4 months ago
ed recover only 10% of fraud amount. out of 55 cr only 4 cr.
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