The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday conducted searches on properties of former Assistant Director in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) Bolineni Sreenivasa Gandhi in Hyderabad and Vijayawada. He had earlier headed investigations into the disproportionate assets cases against YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Sreenivasa Gandhi is presently serving as a superintendent with the Central GST Anti-Evasion Wing.
The CBI has registered a disproportionate assets case against Gandhi. Their simultaneous searches at the houses and other properties of the official in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh unearthed disproportionate assets worth Rs 3.75 crore.
The searches at the premises of Gandhi were part of the nation-wide searches conducted by the investigation agency in various cases.
Gandhi had earlier served as Assistant Director in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and handled several high profile cases including the disproportionate assets case against YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, who is now the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
The CBI registered a case against Gandhi for amassing illicit wealth since 2010. His wife Bollineni Sireesha was also named as an accused in the FIR.
According to the FIR, Gandhi acquired assets worth Rs 3.75 crore in his name, and in the name of his family members, in and around Hyderabad, Vijayawada and other places.
Srinivas Gandhi had made an asset jump from Rs 21 lakh to Rs 2.74 crore in a matter of just 9 years. Before January 2010, the official had assets worth Rs 21 lakh in his name and in the name of relatives. By the end of June 2, 2019, he had however made movable and immovable assets worth over Rs 274 crore. The official had spent about Rs 2.51 crore between January 2010 and June 2, 2019, despite his income during this period being only Rs 1.30 crore, reported TNIE.
Jagan Mohan Reddy had in 2017 complained to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Gandhi was being vindictive. He had also alleged that Gandhi and another ED officer were acting at the behest of the then Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government.
Gandhi, who worked as ED's Assistant Director for 13 years, was subsequently transferred to the GST and was since working at Hyderabad GST Commissionerate.
There were also several complaints against him that he was sitting on several cases of violations of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) involving some high-profile persons.
He had also handled the case against the companies running from the premises of Sujana Group founded by former Union minister and Rajya Sabha member YS Chowdary.
Chowdary and two other TDP MPs last month joined the BJP.
(With IANS inputs)