I-T department, ED to help probe money laundering
After uncovering investments worth Rs 20 crore made by Medical Council of India (MCI) chairman Ketan Desai in properties and companies in India, the CBI has asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to probe moneylaundering charges against Desai and his associates.
After uncovering investments worth Rs 20 crore made by Medical Council of India (MCI) chairman Ketan Desai in properties and companies in India, the CBI has asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to probe moneylaundering charges against Desai and his associates.
The CBI approached the ED after coming across several “shady” transactions and investments of money laundering by the MCI chairman.
All related documents and transaction details have been forwarded to the directorate, which has started a process to register a case against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, a top government source said.
The agency, meanwhile, has also involved the Income Tax (I-T) Department in its probe to look into the charges of tax violations.
Desai was arrested on Thursday, along with a conduit J.P. Singh, on charges of accepting bribes from medical colleges for granting recognition.
According to a source, the CBI probe has found that Desai and his family allegedly own 20 properties in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Haryana. Besides this, Desai also owns Rs 5 crore in shares of various firms and Rs 1.75 crore in 13 bank accounts in Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
Desai also reportedly owns two companies — Jem Infrastructures in Ahmedabad and New India Construction Company in Mumbai.
“We are writing to the Registrar of Companies to send us all records concerning the two firms,” said a CBI officer.
After the MCI chief’s arrest, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had set up a three-member fact-finding team to look into the allegations involving Gian Sagar Medical College near Patiala, pending which the institute will not be allowed to take a new batch of students.
The CBI suspected scores of colleges were granted recognition by the MCI even though they did not fulfil the criteria.
The MCI conducts inspections at medical colleges across the country to see if they have the required infrastructure and are following the norms.