In connection with a money laundering investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) announced on Friday that it has attached properties worth Rs 1.06 crore belonging to Pradeep Kumar Satapathy, the former chairman of the Sonepur Panchayat Samiti in Odisha.
In a statement, the ED claimed that it had attached Satapathy’s moveable and immovable property in accordance with the PMLA’s 2002 prevention of money laundering provisions.
On the basis of a FIR filed by the Odisha Vigilance Department under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act for abusing his official position and amassing enormous assets totaling Rs. 1.1 crore that were found to be disproportional to his known sources of income during the check period from January 1, 1997, to January 1, 2010, the ED opened a case of money laundering against Satpathy.
During the time period covered by the check, he served as Chairman of Sonepur Panchayat Samiti, Vice Chairman of Sonepur Panchayat Samiti, and Sarpanch of Khari Gram Panchayat in the Subarnapur district.