The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has filed a Prosecution Complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) against Abhay Kant Pathak, a former officer of Indian Forest Services (IFoS), who previously worked as Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Plan, Programme & Afforestation, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, and his son Akash Kumar Pathak, in the Court of the Hon’ble Sessions Judge, Khurda at B On 18.08.2023, the Hon’ble Special Court, PMLA, Bhubaneswar was delighted to take cognizance of the charge of money laundering.
The ED launched an investigation under the PMLA based on an F.I.R. filed by the Vigilance Cell P.S., Vigilance Directorate, Odisha Police, under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, against Abhay Kant Pathak and his son Akash Kumar Pathak in connection with Abhay Kant Pathak possessing assets disproportionate to known source of income to the tune of INR 9.35 crore.
Several more FIRs and chargesheets lodged by Odisha Police against Akash Kumar Pathak and Abhay Kant Pathak were retrieved throughout the inquiry, which was linked to Akash Kumar Pathak’s illegal actions, which included duping naïve individuals in exchange for jobs at Tata Motors.
ED had already conducted two search operations under the PMLA, in 2002, and a BMW Luxury Car was confiscated as a result. Furthermore, two Provisional Attachment Orders were issued against the accused people, attaching properties worth Rs. 106.95 Lakhs.
