PDS foodgrain scam: Enforcement Directorate attaches Rs 4.06 crore assets in Maharashtra

New Delhi [India], June 3 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached immovable assets valued at total at Rs 4.06 crore from Hingoli, Yavatmal and Nanded districts, among other areas across Maharashtra, in the Public Distribution System (PDS) Foodgrain Scam case of India Mega Agro Anaj Limited and Ors, the agency said on Monday.

The ED’s Nagpur unit attached the assets on May 30 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

The attached assets include immovable properties acquired by the company India Mega Agro Anaj Limited, its promoters Ajay Chandraprakash Baheti and his family members.

ED initiated an investigation based on the First Information Report and chargesheets filed by Maharashtra Police in Nanded district under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 which revealed illegal transportation of essential commodities of wheat and rice from the godown of Food Corporation of India (FCI) Jawahar Nagar Tuppa to the company of Baheti Group India Mega Agro Anaj Ltd.

ED said the owner of India Mega Agro Anaj company namely Ajay Baheti was part of a “elaborate conspiracy” with the whole machinery of PDS, such as truck drivers, truck owners, the district place representatives taking delivery, godown keepers at Tehsil place and in districts of Nanded and Hingoli, contractors who transport rationing grains, their representatives, owners of various trading companies and middlemen and misappropriated food grains meant for public distribution at subsidized rates, for personal usage.

“Forensic audit report revealed that the accused Ajay Baheti manipulated the books of accounts of his company to create a paper trail for the tainted transactions and to project the diverted grains constituting the proceeds of the crime as untainted,” said the agency.

ED investigation further revealed that Ajay Baheti used a network of fictitious trading companies in the names of their employees and bank accounts were opened in those names.

The total diversion of Rs 55.27 crore worth of foodgrains from FCI godowns to India Mega Agro Anaj Ltd was estimated as “proceeds of crime” during ED investigations based on the aggregation of the payments made by Ajay Baheti against the bogus grain purchases from various shell entities during check period January 2018 to July 2018.

Ajay Chandraprakash Baheti was arrested on June 24, 2021, by ED Nagpur. A Prosecution Complaint was filed in August 2021 in this case.