PATNA: In a first, Enforcement Directorate (ED) permanently attached movable and immovable property worth Rs 86.05 lakh in Aurangabad, Gaya and Delhi amassed by Bihar and Jharkhand’s top Maoist leader Sandeep Yadav and his family members.

ED sources said properties were provisionally attached on February 1, 2018, and it was confirmed by their Delhi headquarters on July 6.

“We received permanent attachment order on Monday. This is first of its kind action against any Maoist leader in country,” sources said. They said attached properties were amassed from extortion (levy) collected from businessmen, contractors, construction firms and other sources in Bihar and Jharkhand.

According to Bihar police Special Task Force (STF) sources, Sandeep, in-charge of Bihar-Jharkhand special area committee (BJ-SAC) of CPI (Maoist), is wanted in 88 Maoist cases lodged with different police stations in Bihar and carries reward of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 25 lakh declared by Bihar and Jharkhand government respectively. Sandeep’s brother Dhanik Lal Yadav is also a Maoist.

ED sources said attached property includes two plots worth Rs 16.55 lakh and Rs 5.95 lakh at Shahpur and another plot worth Rs 15.31 lakh at Ratanua, all in town area of Aurangabad.

“All three plots are in name of Sandeep’s wife Rajanti Devi, an untrained teacher at government primary school at Lutua panchayat in Gaya,” they said.

“Another attached plot worth Rs 1.57 lakh is at Banke Bazaar in Gaya, registered in name of Dhanik,” ED sources said.

They also said two sports bike worth Rs 1.4 lakh and Rs 96,000 owned Sandeep’s two sons, an SUV worth Rs 10.69 lakh and tractor worth Rs 6.33 lakh, owned by Dhanik were also attached were also attached. “While elder son studies in a noted private college in Patna, other one studies in a convent school in Ranchi,” sources said.

“A flat at Dwarka in Delhi, booked by Sandeep’s son-in-law Gajendra Narayan by making initial payment of Rs 10.68 lakh was also attached as the amount was levy deposited in small amounts from Bihar and Jharkhand in Gajendra’s bank account in Delhi,” they said adding Rs 13.24 lakh in 13 different bank accounts of Sandeep’s family members were also attached.

“One of the bank accounts is of Gajendra, which is with HDFC bank at Gagan Vihar in Delhi while rest are in Aurangabad and Gaya,” ED sources said.

A senior ED officer, on condition of anonymity, said Sandeep and his kin were well aware of ways of laundering money from one bank account to another to evade suspicion from the government.

ED sources said property worth Rs 77 lakh and Rs 68 lakh of two top Maoist leaders Pradyuman Sharma and Vinay Yadav were also provisionally attached and they were awaiting confirmation from headquarters. “We are investigating against altogether five top Maoists of Bihar and Jharkhand including Sandeep,” they added.

