ED Attaches Rs 3.50 Crore Assets Linked to Late Former NFR Official

The Enforcement Directorate ’s (ED) Guwahati Zonal Office on Wednesday provisionally attached movable and immovable properties worth approximately Rs 3.50 crore in connection with a money laundering investigation involving late Ranjeet Kumar Bora, the then deputy chief electrical engineer (Construction) of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) in Maligaon , Guwahati . The attachment was carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. According to the ED, the attached assets include an 1,800-square-foot residential flat located in Kankarbagh, Patna, Bihar, valued at around Rs 3.28 crore. The property is registered in the name of Sonal Jain. The agency has also attached a fixed deposit worth approximately Rs 21.24 lakh held in her name with Canara Bank. Probe Linked to CBI Corruption Case The ED initiated its investigation based on an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on July 27, 2018, against Bora and others under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The CBI investigation had allegedly found that Bora, while serving as a public servant with the NFR, had abused his official position and accepted illegal gratification from contractors. The agency subsequently filed a chargesheet against Bora and other accused persons in 2022. The ED's probe further revealed that the alleged proceeds of crime generated through the acceptance of bribes were allegedly used to acquire assets and make investments. According to the agency, the flat in Patna and the fixed deposit were linked to the alleged proceeds of crime and were held in the name of Sonal Jain. Further Proceedings Underway The ED said Bora had allegedly accumulated the proceeds of crime while serving as deputy chief electrical engineer (Construction), NFR, and had concealed the assets through investments and property purchases. In 2024, a special CBI court convicted Bora and other accused persons in the corruption case. However, Bora later died on September 6, 2024, during the pendency of legal proceedings. The ED said further investigation in the case is underway.