ED to attach Rs 350-crore assets of IAS couple

The ED action comes in the wake of a recent order by the Adjudicating Authority of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based in the national capital which "endorsed" a provisional order of the agency in this regard.

"The attachment proceedings will be initiated as the adjudicating authority has approved the agency's order which said that the properties of the Joshi couple should be confiscated as proceeds of crime," ED sources said today.

As per the procedure, the ED has to get endorsed its attachment orders under PMLA from a higher authority.

The zonal office of ED in Ahmedabad had issued an order in May this year to provisionally attach the properties of the IAS couple who are under suspension after the Income Tax Department in February last year conducted searches at their premises in Bhopal and allegedly unearthed Rs 350 crore amassed by them.

The ED had subsequently registered a money laundering case against the couple who belong to the 1979 batch of IAS.

ED had also served notices to them for alleged violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

Both Arvind and Tinu have also served at the Central government level.

Tinu served as Deputy Secretary in the PMO from July 1, 1988 to January 1, 1990 while Arvind was Joint Secretary in the Defence Ministry during the 1999 Kargil conflict.