The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a fresh crackdown in Gautam Buddh Nagar, specifically targeting the syndicate of slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed. This action follows intelligence reports indicating that Ahmed's associates were attempting to secretly liquidate his substantial hidden real estate holdings, known as 'benami' assets.
ED Moves to Pre-empt Secret Sales
To prevent these illicit transactions, the ED has compiled a comprehensive list of suspicious properties. This list has been dispatched to key local authorities, including the Noida Authority, Greater Noida Authority, Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority, and the local registration department, with strict instructions to immediately halt all related property transactions.
Police had already begun identifying land linked to Ahmed's syndicate under the Gangster Act. The ED is now preparing to formally attach all identified properties across Noida and Greater Noida, effectively targeting a broad network of builders, financiers, and local associates who facilitated the syndicate’s extensive land holdings.
Background: The 2020 Money Laundering Case
This latest move stems from a money laundering case registered by the ED against Atiq Ahmed in 2020. Early in the investigation, federal agents had already attached properties valued at ₹8 crore, alongside bank accounts held by Ahmed and his wife, Shaista Parveen.
Interrogations conducted at Sabarmati Jail played a crucial role in helping investigators map out the intricate financial network of the syndicate. This intelligence culminated in a massive, pan-State raid conducted in April 2023.
Previous Raids Yielded Significant Findings
During the April 2023 searches, ED teams raided numerous properties associated with key lieutenants within Ahmed’s network. These individuals included builder Sanjeev Agarwal, former MLA Asif Jafri, businessman Deepak Bhargava, relative Khalid Zafar, attorney Khan Saulat Hanif, builders Amit Goyal and Atul Dwivedi, CA Sitaram Shukla, and Wadood, the son of former village head Gulful.
The extensive operation in 2023 uncovered significant assets: cash-counting machines, documents detailing real estate holdings worth over ₹100 crore, ₹75 lakh in cash, various foreign currencies, gold and silver jewelry, and records linked to 200 bank accounts and 50 shell companies.
Choking the Syndicate's Financial Channels
With the recent submission of the updated property list to local authorities, the ED aims to decisively choke off the syndicate's remaining financial channels. The ultimate objective is to secure full physical control over the gang's entire real estate footprint within the National Capital Region, dismantling their economic power base.