ED attaches properties worth ₹1.01 crore in Patna, Rohtas

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday provisionally attached properties worth ₹1

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday provisionally attached properties worth ₹1.01 crore in a case of cheating the public by a trust called ‘Buddhist Welfare Trust’. The trust allegedly used to receive payments from the gullible members in the name of giving lifetime membership in a medical college which was said to be established by it.

The ED also found 13 bank accounts in the name of accused Surendra, his wife and daughter with a balance of ₹56. 80 lakh. (File photo)

During the investigation, the ED found that the said medical college was never established. The attached assets include 14 immovable properties in Patna and Sasaram.

Movable assets provisionally attached by the ED include bank balances and insurance policies in the name of Surendra Kumar, chairman of the said trust, secretary of the trust and Surendra’s wife Sita Kumari, and their daughter Lipsa Kumar.

A residential flat owned by Sita at Vindhya Ambika Apartment in Patna, worth ₹74.40 lakh, was also attached along with three plots of land owned by Surendra and Sitaat Sasaram in Rohtas district valued at ₹23.71 lakh.

The ED also found 13 bank accounts in the name of Surendra, his wife and daughter with a balance of ₹56. 80 lakh.

The central agency initiated investigations based on an FIR registered by Shastrinagar police station of the state capital. Charge sheets have been filed against Surendra and his wife.

As per the investigation, Surendra and Sita opened a ‘Buddhist Welfare Trust’, where the former was the chairman and his wife was the secretary. The couple used to cheat other members of the trust by giving false assurances that the trust would establish a medical college and the donors would be given lifetime membership. This way, the couple went on collecting money from the members and accumulated a huge sum of money which was later siphoned off from the account of the trust to their personal bank accounts.

The money was used for their personal gains and to acquire movable and immovable properties in their names. Further investigation with respect to the identification of other proceeds of crime is in progress.