The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday sealed properties belonging to former minister Enosh Ekka, his relatives and three companies in connection with a money laundering case.
The ED sealed the three-storeyed building owned by the former minister’s wife, Menon Ekka near Birsa Munda International airport. The ED also sealed the property of Ekka’s relatives located at the Hari Om Tower and the Shree Ram Regency in the Lalpur area. Officials informed that properties were also sealed in various parts of Jharkhand.
The ED had registered a case (ECIR-01/PAT/2009) IN 2009, in which Ekka was accused of amassing huge wealth for himself and in the name of his relatives when he was the minister. The trial in the case is going on in a special court in Ranchi at present.
Earlier, ED had issued two orders in 2010 and 2014 for taking of possession of 119 properties of Ekka and his relatives and three companies. Ekka, however, got a stay from a tribunal against the order. The ED appealed before the appellate tribunal (PMLA) New Delhi and got a vacation of the stay order this month. The ED carried out the operation after issuing the notice to the owners of assets on September 15 asking them to evacuate the property within 10 days.
ED officials stated that action would also be taken in connection with Ekka’s assets situation in other parts of the country also.
