The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has cracked down on a corrupt civil service officer. The ED alleges that the officer obtained ₹169 crore through bribes. He used this money to purchase gold, diamonds, and expensive saris.

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday alleged that IAS officer Anil Pawar amassed "proceeds of crime" worth Rs 169 crore from bribes. According to the ED, Pawar used the money to purchase gold, diamonds and "expensive" sarees, besides investing in a housing project in his wife's name.

The arrest was made in July

Pawar, a former commissioner of the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in July along with three others as part of a money laundering investigation into allegations of illegal construction of residential and commercial buildings on government and private land in the jurisdiction of the VVCMC near Mumbai since 2009.

All four accused are in jail

All four accused are currently in jail under judicial custody. The federal investigation agency filed a charge sheet against them in a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court in Mumbai, the agency said in a statement. The court has not yet taken cognizance of the case. The ED alleged that Pawar "organized a cartel to take bribes for protecting an already constructed illegal building and also turned a blind eye to ongoing unauthorized constructions."

Claim of commission of Rs 50 per square foot

The ED claimed that this cartel was responsible for large-scale illegal construction within the jurisdiction of the VVCMC. The investigation found that a "fixed" commission rate of ₹150 per square foot was charged on illegal construction projects. Pawar received a "direct" share of ₹50 per square foot of built-up area.

 PC:NBT