Ex-RTO Constable Saurabh Sharma Case Bhopal: Kin Get Bail In PMLA; ED Uncovers Multi-Crore Assets In Names Of Family, Friends

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Special Court of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has granted bail to four relatives of Saurabh Sharma, who is among the 12 accused in a money laundering case filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The hearing was held on Friday, just days after the ED filed a detailed chargesheet in the case on April 9.

Those who secured bail include Saurabh Sharma’s mother Uma Sharma, his wife Divya Tiwari, his brother-in-law Rohit Tiwari and Vivek Haswani. The court also granted bail to two companies named as accused in the chargesheet. Uma Sharma and Divya Tiwari are partners in these companies.

The court directed all accused to submit a personal bond of Rs 10 lakh each and asked them to surrender their passports as part of the bail conditions. The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for May 5. Advocate Akash Telang, who appeared on behalf of Rohit Tiwari, said that the bail was granted based on legal precedents cited from the Supreme Court.

Another counsel, Rajnish Barya, who represents co-accused Sharad Jaiswal, said that bail applications for Saurabh Sharma, Sharad Jaiswal and Chetan will be moved before the court on April 15.

ED investigation

ED investigations have revealed that former transport constable Saurabh Sharma invested his illicit earnings in acquiring multi-crore properties. However, all these immovable assets were registered under the names of his family members and friends.

Interestingly, he and his wife have taken up a rented accommodation—which belongs to none other than his brother-in-law.

On April 9, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had submitted the roughly 3,000-page charge sheet against the 12 accused in the money-laundering case, including Sharma, his mother, Uma Sharma, his wife, Diviya Sharma, his in-law, Rohit, and his aides, Chetan Singh Gaur and Sharad Jaiswal. As per the charge sheet, Sharma during his service as transport constable, was frequently transferred to places including Ashoknagar, Morena, Shivpuri, Gwalior, Datia and Bhopal. Sharma also set up three companies - Skylock systems, Instant UR infrastructure and Aviral Enterprises.

It has come to fore that he raised Aviral Construction Company in the name of his childhood friend Chetan Singh Gaur and associate Sharad Jaiswal. They purchase several movable and immovable properties. He also purchased various properties in the name of his wife Divya Tiwari, his mother Uma Sharma, mother in-law Rekha Tiwari, and his brother in-law Rohit Tiwari.

The ED also quoted the statement given to Lokayukta police by Chetan Singh that the cash 1.68 crore and silver bars worth Rs 2.11 crore belongs to Saurabh. The valuables were seized from the house of Chetan.

The agency has found that the Sharma’s associates Sharad and Chetan did not have financial capacity to secure the unsecured loan.  Saurabh had arranged the money and routed the amount from the various accounts and purchased the properties.

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