The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached eight immovable properties worth ₹1.6 crore, owned by James George of the Modern Group of Institutions, Kollam, and his wife Seema James in the fake educational certificate case.
The agency initiated the investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, following a case booked by the East Police Station, Kollam.
The police had in 2015 seized fake certificates/mark lists of several universities from the group, said a communication by the ED.
The investigations revealed that James George had forged the certificates of various universities and distributed it to students and job-seekers against payment. He had also sold various diploma certificates of his institute to job-seekers and students without conducting any course at his institute.
The proceeds of crime acquired by James George was invested in immovable properties purchased in his name and that of Seema and the Bharathiya Orthodox Church Religious and Charitable Trust formed by him, the communication said.
The immovable properties were located in Kollam, Alappuzha, Thrissur, Kannur and Wayanad, it said.