Tainted dy collector’s properties attached

Among the properties attached are a row house,three commercial offices,a plot and a beach-facing hotel-spread in Mumbai suburbs and in Thakur’s native Alibaug.

According to officials,the properties are valued at Rs 7 crore based on their acquisition price and are estimated to be worth at least three times more than the purchase price. The properties,owned by members of Thakur family,were acquired by Nitish since 2004 “in his business capacity” soon after he went on an unsanctioned leave from his post,according to an official.

Thakur is currently under the probe of state ACB and ED in a case of assets hugely disproportionate to his sources of income — including large stashes of cash,jewellery and luxury cars — and suspected money laundering. Allegations against him include misusing his official position as a revenue officer and floating private companies to enter into commercial transactions. The investigation got a boost this April when the officials found evidence of business transactions of Rs 258 crore between real estate giant Shapoorji Pallonji Company Ltd (SPCL) and the suspended officer.

“The probe on the land aggregation continues as we are still questioning him on each plot he and his family acquired on the pretext of acquiring it for real estate groups. These properties form the primary probe. The properties attached sprung out of the ill-gotten money and are hence considered proceeds of crime,” said an official.

Meanwhile,the ACB is yet to make much headway in the parallel probe on the Rs 16-crore single transaction made by a Dubai-based firm to Thakur’s Acecord Agro. Thakur maintains that the money is an “investment” towards coconut plantations in Kerala.

“We tried to get details from the private bank in India where the money was wired but did not get much help. We are now looking to approach new channels to probe the source of money. We have leads to believe it’s money laundering as the money was wired through a US account,” said an officer.