Indore: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday said that it has provisionally attached the properties worth Rs 39.91 lakh belonging to a former employee of Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), Chetan Patil, and his wife Jyoti Patil under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Properties Linked to Alleged Money Laundering

The federal probe agency, in a statement, said that the properties provisionally attached “are in the form of a plot and a residential building located in Indore, which are registered in the name of Chetan Patil and his wife Jyoti Patil.

The ED said that action was taken based on an FIR registered by the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) Indore, under the Prevention of Corruption Act (which are scheduled offences under the PMLA) for accumulating the assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Assets Far Exceed Known Income

The ED’s investigation revealed that Patil’s sources of income during the period between 1998 and March 12, 2023 (during his service period) were estimated at up to Rs 55.11 lakh; however, he possessed the disproportionate assets of Rs 1.38 crore.

“It was found that the proceeds of the crime were allegedly laundered through multiple bank accounts held in the name of Chetan Patil and a proprietorship concern, Nagrodh Architect Engineers and Infrastructure, in the name of his wife,” it said.

The investigation also revealed that the firm had no genuine activity and was allegedly used for routing unexplained cash deposits and layering of funds.

Funds Used for Properties and Personal Expenses

“The tainted funds were further utilised for acquisition of immovable properties, repayment of housing loans, LIC premium and other personal expenditures, indicating placement, layering and integration of Proceeds of Crime,” ED’s statement further said.

Indore Municipal Corporation’s Assistant Garden Officer Chetan Patil has been dismissed from service following serious allegations of corruption and possession of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Notably, Chetan Patil, who was serving in the horticulture department in the IMC, was dismissed from the post after the EOW filed an FIR and initiated an investigation in 2024.

The Initial findings revealed fraudulent procurement worth Rs two crore during Patil’s tenure as in-charge of the garden department.