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ED questions Rajasthan CM AShok Gehlot’s elder brother in PMLA case
Gehlot appeared at the agency’s headquarters in Delhi along with his lawyer around 11.30 am, following which his statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday questioned Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s elder brother Agrasain Gehlot in connection with a money laundering probe against him and others linked to the alleged illegal export of fertilisers meant for Indian farmers, people familiar with the development said.
Gehlot appeared at the agency’s headquarters in Delhi along with his lawyer around 11.30 am, following which his statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The agency had raided his office premises in July last year, around the time a political slugfest was going on in the ruling Congress in the state between his chief minister brother and then deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot.
The Rajasthan high court last week asked Agrasain Gehlot to cooperate with the probe, while ordering the central anti-money laundering agency not to take any coercive action against him, people cited above said on condition of anonymity.
ED’s money laundering probe is based on an investigation by the customs department and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in 2009 in the export of muriate of potash (MOP) worth ₹57 lakh in 12 consignments the same year. MOP is a restricted commodity for export under India’s foreign trade policy.
The customs department’s investigation report, reviewed by HT, states that Agrasain Gehlot’s company – M/s Anupam Krishi – allegedly played a key role in the irregularities. It is suspected that the MOP was exported to companies in Malaysia and Singapore.
The customs probe report states that Agrasain Gehlot “knowingly opted to become a part of the syndicate in the entire chain of conspiracy by facilitating the said consortium (of private companies) by supplying subsidized MOP, which was meant for sale to farmers only and forged documents for which he admittedly gained certain amount as his commission”.
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