PMLA case: ED files chargesheet against Mukhtar Ansari’s MLA son and relative

Abbas is a MLA from Mau Sadar seat and is the son of jailed gangster and ex-MLA Mukhtar Ansari. “Mukhtar Ansari is also an accused in the case and the investigation is still on.

Abbas Ansari was arrested in November. (Express Photo)

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Tuesday filed a chargesheet against SBSP MLA Abbas Ansari and his maternal uncle Atif Raza in an alleged Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case.

Abbas is a MLA from Mau Sadar seat and is the son of jailed gangster and ex-MLA Mukhtar Ansari. “Mukhtar Ansari is also an accused in the case and the investigation is still on. We filed a chargesheet against Abbas and Atif Raza in the case yesterday,” said a senior ED official. Mukhtar is lodged in Banda district jail.

As per reports, in 2021 the ED had registered a case against Mukhtar Ansari and a private firm after an FIR was lodged. It was alleged that Vikas Construction constructed godowns on public and government land after encroaching them. The agency had so far found illegal godowns constructed by the firm in Mau and Ghazipur. An ED official said, “The names of Abbas and Atif came up during the probe.”

“The godowns were rented to a government agency and the accused were receiving the rent. The ED has detected a money trail of over Rs 15 crore that was laundered by the accused,” said a source adding that the rental income was further used for purchasing immovable properties.

In November, the ED arrested Abbas when he came to record his statement after being summoned. He was arrested for “not cooperating” with the investigation by not “giving replies to specific questions”, officials said.

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