ED attaches Rs 1.75 crore property in illegal Corbett constructions case

New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has provisionally attached immovable assets worth approximately Rs 1.75 crore in a corruption and money laundering case linked to illegal constructions inside the Corbett National Park.

The action was taken under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, following an FIR registered by the Vigilance Establishment, Dehradun.

The FIR invoked multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

The ED probe has revealed a deep-rooted nexus involving Kishanchand, the then Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Kalagarh Tiger Reserve, and Brij Bihari Sharma, the then Forest Ranger of Pakhro Range, among other forest officials and contractors.

The accused are alleged to have authorised and facilitated the construction of several illegal structures within Corbett National Park without mandatory approvals, causing significant environmental damage and revenue loss to the state exchequer.

According to the ED, the proceeds of the crime were used to acquire immovable properties in the name of close family members. Properties were acquired in the names of Rajlaxmi Sharma, wife of Brij Bihari Sharma, and Abhishek Kumar Singh and Yugendra Kumar Singh, sons of Kishanchand.

The attached assets include land parcels located in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand and the Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh.

A Provisional Attachment Order (PAO) has been issued for these properties, marking a major step in the financial investigation.

The case has raised serious questions about corruption and environmental violations by forest officials entrusted with protecting India’s critical wildlife reserves.

The matter also raises questions on the wrongful use of power, for personal benefits, causing a huge loss to the state exchequer.

Further investigation is currently underway to unearth the full scale of the money trail and identify additional assets linked to the alleged misuse of authority.

--IANS

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