ED Attaches ₹2.03 Crore Assets Linked to Late Mukhtar Ansari’s Aide in Money Laundering Probe

The Enforcement Directorate has attached six immovable properties valued at ₹2.03 crore in a money laundering case connected to Shadab Ahmed, an associate of the late Mukhtar Ansari. The attachment forms part of a wider investigation into financial transactions routed through entities linked to Vikas Construction, a firm alleged to have benefited from encroached government land and illicit rental income.

Officials said this is the fourth round of attachments in the case, taking the total value of seized properties to ₹8.43 crore. The ED’s probe traces funds back to alleged illegal construction on government land in Raini village and Ghazipur, where godowns built without authorization were later leased to the Food Corporation of India. The income generated through these arrangements was categorized as proceeds of crime, with investigators identifying approximately ₹27.72 crore linked to the operation.

In October 2025, Shadab Ahmed was detained at Lucknow Airport after returning from Sharjah, following a Look Out Circular issued earlier. He was subsequently placed in judicial custody on the basis of a non-bailable warrant. Interrogation revealed that he allegedly assisted in concealing close to ₹10 crore in illicit funds by routing them through corporate entities under his control. These companies facilitated transfers that made the proceeds appear as legitimate business revenue.

Investigators found that amounts shown as salary and unsecured loans were in fact derived from laundered proceeds. A portion of this money was used to acquire the six properties now attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Officials said that Ahmed had been absconding since 2022, when searches at his premises unearthed earlier financial irregularities. His custodial statements have provided further clarity on the layering patterns used to conceal funds originating from Vikas Construction’s operations.

Authorities believe the laundering mechanism relied on multiple fronts to move money, disguise its origin and convert it into real estate assets. The ongoing action forms part of a broader effort to dismantle financial structures linked to the late gangster-politician’s networks. As more financial trails are examined, the agency expects additional attachments and deeper scrutiny of individuals involved. Ensuring transparent accounting and compliance practices, supported by professional bookkeeping services in india remains crucial to preventing misuse of corporate structures for such activities.