Shahjahan adopted innovative way to launder land grabbing money: ED chargesheet

Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in its chargesheet on Monday stated that suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan adopted innovative way to channelise illegal money that he earned through land grabbing.

Sources told IANS on Tuesday that the ED has provided details on the innovative methods that Sheikh Shahjahan used to launder his illegal money and that of other politically-influential people in West Bengal

According to the sources, the leader from Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas District first parked the unaccounted proceeds in comparatively smaller accounts in multiple banks that were held by his associates, and then, in due course that money was invested in legal businesses, the returns of which were shown as legitimately accounted for money.

Sources added that all these details were mentioned in the chargesheet submitted by the ED at a special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Kolkata on Monday afternoon.

Sources said that the majority of the illegal money was laundered through Shahjahan’s fish export business and the company was registered in the name of his daughter.

In the chargesheet, the ED has accused Shahjahan of collecting Rs 261 crore through illegal land grabbing in Sandeshkhali.

On Monday, the ED had informed the special court that till now it had identified 59.5 acres of illegally-grabbed land.

Besides Shahjahan, his brother Sheikh Alamgir and his close associates Didar Bux Molla and Siboprasad Hazra have been named as accused in the chargesheet.

The ED has so far confiscated assets and property worth Rs 27 crore owned by Shahjahan.