ED attaches assets of Abhay Pathak

Bhubaneswar: Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has provisionally attached assets worth Rs. 66 Lakh under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) in the case of Abhay Kant Pathak, the erstwhile Indian Forest Service (IFoS), 1987 batch office.

Abhay was working in the erstwhile capacity of Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Addl. PCCF), Plan, Programme and Afforestation in the office of the PCCF, Govt. of Odisha, alongwith others for possessing assets disproportionate to his known source of income.

ED had initiated investigation under the PMLA, 2002, on the basis of FIR registered by the Vigilance Cell PS, Cuttack, Odisha related to acquisition of disproportionate assets by Abhay Kant Pathak & his family members amounting to Rs. 9.35 Crore.

During the investigation of the offence of money laundering, Directorate of Enforcement also collected and examined several other FIRs and chargesheets registered / filed by Odisha Police involving Akash Kumar Pathak S/o Abhay Kant Pathak.

These FIRs and chargesheets revealed the criminal activities of Akash Kumar Pathak and others who have duped the gullible people in lieu of providing jobs in Tata Motors.

ED had earlier carried out search operations under PMLA, 2002 and also seized BMW Luxury Car.

A provision attachment order against Abhay Kant Pathak and others was also issued earlier in April 2022.
Further investigation is under progress.