The enforcement directorate (ED) is all set to probe money laundering complaints against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amit Rattan Kotfatta, who was booked by Punjab Vigilance Bureau for taking a bribe through his close aide Rashim Garg.
ED’s regional office in Jalandhar has written to the vigilance bureau to provide details of the entire case. The VB has already presented a chargesheet in the case on April 19, and ED will investigate the complaints of money laundering against Kotfatta.
“We have sought details from the vigilance bureau regarding FIR in the corruption case. There are complaints of money laundering against Amit Rattan, and we have started an investigation. Thus we have sought details from VB”, said an ED official, requesting anonymity.
The AAP lawmaker from the reserved Bathinda (rural) Amit Rattan was arrested by the VB from Patiala district on February 23. Presently, he is in jail under judicial custody.
Kotfatta was arrested after his close aide Garg was caught accepting ₹4 lakh bribe on February 16. He was taking the bribe at the behest of AAP MLA at Bathinda circuit house.
VB officials confirmed that they have received the letter from the ED, Jalandhar. “All the information collected by Patiala and Bathinda VB officials will be shared with the ED. The ED has sought details of his properties and other assets, said a VB official, requesting anonymity.
{{/usCountry}}VB officials confirmed that they have received the letter from the ED, Jalandhar. “All the information collected by Patiala and Bathinda VB officials will be shared with the ED. The ED has sought details of his properties and other assets, said a VB official, requesting anonymity.
{{/usCountry}}Kotfatta was nominated in the Prevention of Corruption Act case on February 21 based on a preliminary investigation by VB. A resident of Samana in Patiala, Kotfatta’s aide Garg was arrested by the VB sleuths from Bathinda’s circuit house on February 16.
Garg was arrested following a complaint lodged by Pritpal Kumar, the husband of a Ghudda village sarpanch Sunita Rani in Bathinda, who alleged that the Kotfatta and Garg were allegedly demanding a bribe of 20% of the development funds for the village.
Kumar submitted audio recordings of Kotfatta and Garg’s purportedly demanding money. Garg was caught with ₹4 lakh cash at a government-owned circuit house in Bathinda, where Kotfatta was also present.