ED gets 5-day custody of Chhangur Baba
Chhangur Baba is accused of masterminding a large-scale religious conversion racket from Balrampur.
The officials said ED took him into their custody soon after. They said the special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases granted Chhangur Baba's PCR to ED from 5 pm on Monday to 5 pm on August 1.
They said the ED had sought the suspect's PCR for seven days, alleging that he and his associates had acquired several properties using the proceeds of crime. The ED has claimed that Chhangur Baba and his associates received suspicious funds from foreign countries and utilised them for unlawful religious conversions.
As per a prosecution official, ED prayed to the court for Chhangur Baba's PCR, stating that the conditions under Section 19 of the PMLA, 2002, were met in the case. During the investigation, Anti Money Laundering (AML) cells of concerned banks provided statements of bank accounts mentioned in the FIR, he said, quoting ED officials.
He said the PCR was filed by ED assistant director Yogesh through special public prosecutor Kuldeep Srivastava.
The ED officials informed the court that Chhangur Baba and his associates had acquired immovable properties worth crores of rupees, including a land worth ₹16 crore in Pune, Maharashtra. ED also found that Sangeeta Upadhyay, the wife of a clerk at the CJM's court in Balrampur, had a profit-sharing agreement with Chhangur Baba in this land.
On July 17, ED had searched, under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 15 premises related to Chhangur Baba and his associates.
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