The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its crackdown on individuals associated with Mukhtar Ansari, a gangster and former politician, by attaching properties worth ₹4.18 crore belonging to Atul Rai, a close aide. This action is part of an ongoing money laundering investigation.
The attached assets include six immovable properties: a flat in Delhi, three residential plots in Varanasi, and agricultural land in Ghazipur. These properties are held under the names of Spectrum Infraservices Private Limited, a company owned by Atul Rai, and Jitender Sapra. The ED initiated the action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The case originated from an FIR filed at the Dakshin Tola police station in Mau, alleging that Vikas Construction Company, influenced by Mukhtar Ansari, illegally constructed a warehouse on government land in Raini village, Mau. The company then leased the warehouse to the Food Corporation of India (FCI), generating illegal income. Investigations revealed that ₹15.31 crore was received as rent from FCI, ₹2.25 crore was obtained as a subsidy from NABARD for the warehouse construction, ₹3.10 crore was forcibly taken from former partners, and ₹7.05 crore was received by Atif Raza as transportation charges from FCI. The total illegal earnings amounted to ₹27.72 crore.
The ED's investigation uncovered a network of transactions used to launder the ill-gotten gains. The funds were transferred to various company accounts, including Aagaaz Projects and Engineering Private Limited and Inizio Network Solution Private Limited, both allegedly linked to Mukhtar Ansari and his associates. Subsequently, the money was transferred to Kusumvision Infra Pvt. Ltd., Spectrum Infraservices Pvt. Ltd., Kusum Construction and Telecom Services (all companies associated with Atul Rai), and to Jitender Sapra and his family's accounts, from which immovable properties were purchased.
Mukhtar Ansari has a long criminal history, with 49 cases registered against him, including charges of murder, extortion, and land grabbing. The ED alleges that Vikas Construction Company was operating under Ansari's influence, with his relative Atif Raza holding a 15% share.
Atul Rai's relationship with Mukhtar Ansari has seen considerable change over time. Rai entered politics in 2017 with Ansari's support, securing a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket for the Ghazipur's Zamania seat. While he did not win that election, he was elected as a Member of Parliament from the Ghosi constituency in 2019 on a BSP ticket. However, tensions arose between them, reportedly due to Rai securing the Lok Sabha ticket that Ansari wanted for his son, Abbas. Rai later expressed concerns about threats to his life from Ansari, even while in jail. In 2021, he wrote to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the MP/MLA court, alleging that Ansari was plotting against him.
In a separate case from 2022, police seized properties belonging to Atul Rai under the Gangster Act in Ghazipur. Furthermore, in 2023, the ED attached properties worth ₹73.43 lakh belonging to Mukhtar Ansari and his son Abbas. These properties, in the form of land and commercial buildings in Mau and Ghazipur, were allegedly acquired by Abbas Ansari at an undervalued price.
