ED seizes Rs 2.60 cr worth properties of ex-municipal commissioner of Patna

Patna, Aug 5 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized the properties of senior IAS officer K. Senthil Kumar, the former municipal Commissioner of Patna, an official said on Friday.

ED has seized Rs 2.60 crore worth properties in Patna and Tamil Nadu. He is facing charges of money laundering and Rs 8.76 crore scam in Patna municipal corporation.

The Special Vigilance Unit (SVU) has already registered an FIR against Kumar under the charges of disproportionate assets case in Patna. Besides him, Baidnath Das, the additional commissioner municipal corporation of Patna, Kumar's younger brother K. Aiyappan and Bimal Kumar have also been booked as a co-accused in the case.

On the basis of the FIR and the charge sheet filed in the court by SVU, the ED has started the investigation of a money laundering case. During the initial probe, ED has found that Kumar was involved in irregularities and corruption during the tenure as municipal commissioner of Patna and district magistrate of Munger and earned money illegally.

"During the investigation, it was also revealed that Kumar had good relations with a contractor Vimal Kumar. On that basis, Kumar used to allot government projects to the companies of Vimal Kumar and took the commission. Kumar also invested money in the companies of Vimal Kumar to make his black money white," said the statement of ED.

Kumar has a flat in Jayshree apartment in Nageshwar colony in Patna worth Rs 8.26 lakh, Rs 1.97 crore properties and a building in the name of trust, which belongs to the family members of Kumar. Besides, some properties and cash have also been seized from the bank accounts and properties. The total value of his properties is Rs 2.60 crore while the market value of them is more than Rs 12 crore.

The ED is investigating Kumar's one of the trust Indira Memorial Trust, which was used for the illegal transactions.