ED seizes Rs 100 crore worth property of Atiq Ahmed, associates

The Enforcement Directorate has seized property to the tune of Rs 100 crore and Rs 85 lakh in cash belonging to gagster Atiq Ahmed and his aides.

In addition to this, the ED also seized jewellery worth Rs 2.85 crore and gold bars worth Rs 60 lakh. The seizure was made after searches were carried out on 15 premises linked to Atiq and his close aides, who included Sita Ram Shukla, Khalid Jafar, Asif Jafri, C A Shabeeh Akhtar, Saulat Haneef, Sanjeev Agarwal, Deepak Bhargava and Atiq's wife Shaishta Praveen.

According to ED officials, the searches began on April 13 and concluded on Friday. Officials also said that in addition to the above mentioned seizures, various physical documents and electronic devices, including 30 mobile phones, laptops and several pen drives and computers too had been seized.

The agency also said that during the searches, both residential and agricultural properties directly in the name of Atiq had been seized. These papers were found at the home of advocate Khan Saulat Haneef. One of the properties was acquired in 2013 and measured 5,900 sqm and is located in a prime locality in Lucknow. The ED according to a Times of India report learnt that the value of the property as evaluated by the government was Rs 47 lakh.

However using criminal intimidation, Atiq managed to siphon off the property at Rs 29 lakh.
The property documents do not mention the details of the payment to the seller. Tis shows that the property like many others was acquired through extortion by Atiq. Using his political clout, he had also managed to get a property at Gomtinagar, Lucknow. The 100 odd benumb properties that Atiq had acquired was between 2011-12 to 2016-17. These properties too have been seized, the ED official said.

These properties are situated in Prayaraj and other places. Such properties were acquired in the name of Atiq's associates and other persons.