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PATNA: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday attached properties worth around Rs68 lakh owned by the family of Maoist leaders Pradyuman Sharma and his brother Pramod Sharma at Rustampur village under the Hulasganj police station area in Jehanabad district. Pradyuman, wanted in 51 cases, carries a reward of Rs50,000 announced by Bihar government on his head. He is in charge of CPI (Maoist) special area committee (SAC) of Magadh zone. They have not been arrested so far.

ED sources said six plots worth at least Rs26.62 lakh owned by Pramod’s wife Shanti Devi were attached. “Another plot worth Rs3.89 lakh in the name of Pramod’s sons Barun and Tarun Kumar and one in the name of Pramod worth Rs1.17 lakh were also attached,” they said.

Apart from the plots of land, a house worth Rs35.47 lakh, a sport bike registered in Barun’s name and purchased in cash besides several bank accounts in the name of Pramod, Shanti and Barun have also been attached.

This is the second major ED crackdown on Maoist leaders in Bihar. In February, ED had attached properties worth Rs86 lakh of Maoist Sandeep Yadav. Sandeep is wanted in 88 cases and carries a reward of Rs5 lakh announced by Bihar government on his head. He is in charge of Bihar-Jharkhand special area committee (BJ-SAC). His brother Dhanik Lal Mandal is also a Maoist.

ED sources said investigation against properties amassed by dreaded Maoist Musafir Sahni was also underway. Sahni was arrested from Muzaffarpur on May 11 last year.

