Enforcement Directorate notices to suspended MP IAS couple

Bhopal, Jan 20 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate (ED)has served notices to suspended Madhya Pradesh IAS couple--Arvind and Tinu Joshi--for alleged violation of the ForeignExchange Management Act (FEMA).

The move comes after the submission of a 7,000-pageappraisal report by the Income Tax department to MadhyaPradesh Chief Secretary, Avni Vaish and Lokayukta P VNaolekar, in which their worth has been valued at a whoopingRs 360-crore.

The notices were issued to the officer-duo as ArvindJoshi''s two Non-Resident Indian (NRI) sisters- Vibha and Abha-purchased agricultural land in violation of the FEMA rules.

It also seeks an explaination from the couple as to howand why they made several investments in violation of FEMA.

Documents with the I-T department showed that ArvindJoshi bought about 100 acres of agricultural land invarious parts of Madhya Pradesh in violation of Section Six(3)(1) of the FEMA.

The RBI prohibits acquiring of agricultural land,plantations and farmhouses by NRIs in the country.

I-T department sources said that an intimation had alreadybeen given to the ED about purchase of land in the name ofArvind Joshi''s sisters and recovery of foreign exchange fromtheir residence.

Meanwhile, MP Congress has demanded their dismissal fromservice.

"I am surprised that the Joshis have not been dismissedfrom service so far," State Congress spokesman K K Mishra saidin a statement.

The couple was suspended after I-T sleuths recovered Rsthree crore in cash from their residence during a raid inFebruary last year.

Both Arvind and Tinu, who are 1979-batch IAS Officersof the Madhya Pradesh Cadre, have held important positions inthe Centre since the late 80s.