In a bid to crack down on the financial resources of the Maoists in Bihar, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), on Monday has attached property of family members of notorious Maoist leaders Pradyuman Sharma and his brother Pramod Sharma, to the tune of Rs. 68 lakh. Pradyuman, who is wanted in 51 cases carries a reward of Rs. 50,000 declared by the Bihar government.
Pradyuman is alleged to be the commander of the Bihar-Jharkhand zone and has gained Rs. 45 lakh through extortion in order to ‘secure’ finances for his children’s education. According to ED, his brother, Pramod, is alleged to be secretary of the CPI (Maoist)’s Banawar sub-area zonal committee, and has been accused of using the illegal funds to enrol his son and daughter in coaching institutes across Kota and Patna.
The agency has provisionally attached the duo’s immovable and immovable assets and is scrutinizing their assets on the basis of 67 FIRs and chargesheets filed. The contractors who are accused of collecting levies and laundering cash on the behalf of Pradumn Sharma are also being investigated.
Earlier in February, the ED had attached property worth Rs. 86 lakh of top Maoist leader Vijay Yadav aka Badka Bhaiya, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Yadav was allegedly in-charge of Madhya Zone of Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee of CPI (Maoist). The investigation was initiated on basis of more than 88 FIRs and chargesheets filed against him.