ED Filed Complaint against Kankipati Rajesh, IAS, and Md. Rafiq Memon. Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has filed a Prosecution Complaint against Kankipati Rajesh, IAS, and Md. Rafiq Memon before the Hon’ble Special PMLA Court, Ahmedabad on 04.10.2022. The Hon’ble Court has taken cognizance of the Prosecution Complaint on the same day i.e. 04.10.2022.
Who filed the complaint?
ED had initiated a money laundering investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by CBI, EO-III, New Delhi against Kankipati Rajesh & Others under various sections of IPC, Section 43 r/w 66 of IT act, 2000 and section 7 of PC Act, 1988.
An investigation by ED revealed that K Rajesh used to demand and accept illegal gratifications from the general public in lieu of discharging his official duties.
Modus Operandi of Kankipati Rajesh
When Kankipati Rajesh was the District Collector of Surendranagar, he handled more than 32 bank accounts. He designed an innovative scheme for accepting bribes. Instead of accepting the bribes in cash or getting them deposited in foreign bank accounts, he identified the bank account of the Government.
The 2011-batch IAS officer is alleged to have used the “election expenditure account” to deposit the bribes in bank accounts. He granted weapon licenses for Rs.5 lacs and mining licenses for Rs.72 lacs in certain cases. This account of the State Government of Gujarat was never audited. Hence, he used this account as his personal account. He made all his personal expenses from this bank account.
In this way, he generated proceeds of crime and laundered the money through government bank accounts to further utilize part of the proceeds of crime in the acquisition of immovable properties.
Many times even the depositors of these funds were not aware that they are paying the bribes as Kankipati Rajesh extensively used the government name to run his scheme extensively. By using the name of the government he could trick the customers into paying the bribes by Cheque.
During the course of the investigation, K. Rajesh, IAS, was arrested by ED on 06.08.2022 under the provisions of PMLA. By the order of Hon’ble Special Court PMLA, Ahmedabad, Kankipati Rajesh was in the remand of ED till 12.08.2022. Presently, he is in judicial custody.
ED has also attached assets worth Rs. 1.55 Crore in the form of two immovable properties situated at Surat, bank balance, and fixed deposits of the accused in the case on 03.10.2022 under the provisions of PMLA, 2002.
