ED attaches properties, bank accounts in Dr Zakir Husain Memorial Trust PMLA case

New Delhi, March 4 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached 15 immovable properties, valued at Rs 29.51 lakh, and four bank accounts, containing Rs 16.

41 lakh, belonging to Dr Zakir Husain Memorial Trust under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, an official said on Monday.

The action was initiated by ED’s Lucknow Zonal Office.

According to officials, the financial probe agency had initiated investigation on the basis of 17 FIRs registered by Uttar Pradesh Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) under various sections of the IPC against Pratyush Shukla, representative of Dr Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust and others.

"Charge sheet has been filed by UP Police in all 17 cases against Athar Farooqui alias Mohd.

Athar, the Secretary of Dr Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust and Louise Khurshid, the Project Director of the trust," said the official.Louise Khurshid is wife of Congress leader Salman Khurshid.

The ED investigation in the case has revealed that grant-in-aid of Rs 71.5 lakh received by the Trust was not utilised for holding camps sanctioned by Centre but, allegedly laundered by Shukla, Athar, and Khurshid for their personal gain."In this way, the fund received as grant-in-aid was laundered for their personal gain and generated Proceeds of Crime.

Further investigation is under progress," the ED official added.

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