Vigilance seeks probe by ED and IT

BHUBANESWAR: There is more trouble for suspended IFS officer Abhay Kant Pathak and his son Akash as the State Vigilance on Wednesday requested two central agencies - Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department - to investigate their financial affairs.

On a day when the Special Judge (Vigilance), Bhubaneswar remanded the father-son in three-day custody of the anti corruption wing, the Vigilance move may result in the two facing probe for money laundering as well as benami property acquisition.

n a letter to Joint Director, ED, Vigilance Cell SP M Radhakrishna stated that the three bank accounts held by Abhay and his son at ICICI Bank, Sahid Nagar in Bhubaneswar, ICICI Bank, Bund Garden Branch in Pune and HDFC Bank, KIIT Branch has 19.48 crore cash deposits while another ` 5.29 crore has been remitted by way of online transfer and cheques.

“Huge cash deposits and transfers in absence of any ostensible source of income or IT returns prima facie indicates transactions in illicitly acquired money and suspicion of money laundering,” the letter said. Since Vigilance is not vested with power to probe under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, the ED has been requested to take appropriate action.

Similarly, the letter to Deputy Commissioner of Investigation, Benami Prohibition Unit of Commissioner of IT, Bhubaneswar claimed that so far, not a single IT return has either been produced or found during the search operation on Akash. Violation of IT Act apart, suspecting investment in benami transactions, the Vigilance sought a probe.

Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team of Vigilance wing will take the father-son duo on remand from December 3 to 5 to seek more details of accumulation of assets disproportionate to their legal source of income. The Pathaks are likely to be quizzed about the source of money found in Akash’s bank accounts and the alleged fake recruitment made by him for Tata Motors in Ganjam’s Gopalpur area.

The Vigilance sleuths had conducted raid at the IFS officer’s residence here on Tuesday to collect CCTV footage and other crucial evidences related to the case. The father-son duo was arrested last week.  

INQUIRY SOUGHT INTO

Huge cash deposits and transfers by Abhay and his son in absence of any ostensible source of income or IT returns
Violation of IT Act by Akash
Possible investment in benami transactions