ED Attaches ₹9.79 Crore Assets of Former MP Service Director Dr Amarnath Mittal

The Enforcement Directorate, through its Bhopal Zonal Office, has provisionally attached movable and immovable assets worth ₹9.79 crore belonging to Dr Amarnath Mittal, former Director of Services in the Madhya Pradesh government, and his wife Alka Mittal, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

The action stems from a disproportionate assets case originally registered by the Bhopal Lokayukta, which later triggered a full-fledged money laundering investigation by the central agency.

Wide Gap Between Income and Assets

According to the ED’s findings, Dr Mittal’s total lawful income during the check period was approximately ₹60 lakh, while the assets acquired and expenditure incurred stood at nearly ₹2.98 crore.

This resulted in disproportionate assets of around ₹2.33 crore, which investigators say could not be justified through known or declared income sources. Such a mismatch is a classic red flag in corruption-linked financial probes and often forms the foundation for PMLA action.

Assets Held in Multiple Names

The probe revealed that assets were acquired not only in Dr Mittal’s name, but also in the names of:

• His wife Alka Mittal, and

• A.N. Mittal (HUF)

According to the ED, this structure indicates an attempt to mask beneficial ownership and present illicit assets as family or HUF holdings - a commonly observed technique in public servant disproportionate asset cases.

From a compliance perspective, weak financial tracking and fragmented records make such layering easier, highlighting why disciplined accounting and transparent bookkeeping services in india are increasingly critical for both public and private entities to establish clean audit trails.

Use of Cash and Layered Financial Transactions

Investigators found extensive use of:

• Unaccounted cash payments

• Unexplained bank deposits

• Multi-layered fund movements

Several personal and household expenses were also found to be unsupported by verifiable income, indicating that illicit funds were allegedly mixed with limited legitimate earnings to project them as lawful - a key ingredient of money laundering under PMLA.

Reinvestment Through Sale of Old Properties

The ED further revealed that A.N. Mittal sold certain properties acquired before the Lokayukta FIR was registered in 2012. Proceeds from these sales were allegedly reinvested into new movable and immovable assets, even after criminal proceedings had begun.

According to investigators, this reinvestment pattern points to a systematic laundering cycle, where older assets are liquidated and redeployed to distance the money from its original source.

Details of Assets Attached

Based on the evidence gathered, the ED issued a provisional attachment order covering assets valued at ₹9.79 crore, including:

• Long-term capital gain bonds

• Residential properties in Bhopal and Raisen districts

• Agricultural land

The agency clarified that the attachment is interim in nature and subject to confirmation by the PMLA adjudicating authority.

Further Probe Underway

ED officials confirmed that the investigation is ongoing, with a focus on:

• Tracing deeper money trails

• Examining benami-style arrangements

• Identifying any additional undisclosed assets

If further proceeds of crime are detected, additional attachments and prosecution under PMLA may follow.