Daijiworld Media Network - Dehradun
Dehradun, Jul 19: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against former Uttarakhand minister and Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat, his wife Deepti Rawat, and others in connection with a money laundering case involving the alleged illegal acquisition of land worth over Rs 70 cr in Dehradun.
Also named in the chargesheet are Rawat’s close aide Birendra Singh Kandari, Laxmi Singh Rana, and the Smt. Poorna Devi Memorial Trust, which allegedly operates under the full control of Rawat and his family.
The ED's probe, which stemmed from an FIR registered at Sahaspur Police Station, revealed a conspiracy where lands were fraudulently registered in the names of Deepti Rawat and Laxmi Rana, close relatives of the accused. The agency stated that these transactions were carried out at rates significantly below the prevailing circle rates, despite prior court directives prohibiting such moves.
The two disputed plots now house the Doon Institute of Medical Sciences, run by the Smt. Poorna Devi Memorial Trust.
In January this year, the ED provisionally attached around 101 bighas of land in connection with the case. While the government value of this land stands at Rs 6.56 cr, its market value is estimated to exceed Rs 70 cr.
The investigation into the case remains ongoing.