The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken major action in the case of a major government fund scam in Assam. Taking action, the Central Investigation Agency has seized movable and immovable properties of Assam government official Siwali Devi Sharma and her close relatives. The value of the seized properties is said to be around Rs 6.40 crore.

ED has taken this action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Let us tell you that this entire case is based on the FIR registered against Siwali Devi Sharma, which was registered by Vigilance Police Station Assam. He is accused of embezzling about Rs 105.76 crore by misusing government funds.

What was revealed in the ED investigation?
The ED investigation revealed that between 2017 and 2021, when Siwali Devi Sharma was the acting chairperson and director of ODL Cell, SCERT, Assam, she opened 347 study centers without the approval of the government and gave admission to 1,06,828 trainees. Whereas the government had approved only 59 study centers and 27,897 trainees.

According to ED’s investigation, Siwali Devi and her associates collected approximately Rs 115 crore as fees from these fake filings. It is alleged that he opened five bank accounts in the name of ODL Cell and did not deposit the amount in the government treasury.

ED seized many properties
ED investigation also revealed that Siwali Devi Sharma herself transferred all the funds despite not having financial authority. Siwali Devi Sharma transferred this money to her and her family’s accounts and then with this money, land, property and other assets were purchased. Now ED has temporarily attached these properties. The agency’s investigation is still ongoing.

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The Mumbai Unit of the Revenue Intelligence Directorate (DRI) at Nhawa Sheva Port in Navi Mumbai thwarted a major attempt to smuggle foreign cigarettes. In this action taken on the basis of accurate intelligence, the authorities seized 1,014 boxes of the “Top Gun” brand from a container, with a total of 1,01,40,000 cigarettes.

The price of this foreign cigarette market recovered by DRI has been estimated at around Rs 13.18 crore. Foreign cigarettes were declared as “coated calcium carbonate” with the intention of showing this smuggling legal imports to mislead the authorities. DRI has arrested a person responsible for this case, which the court has sent to judicial custody for 14 days.

What did the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) tell?
In this way importing foreign cigarettes was a clear violation of Customs Act 1962 and cigarettes and other tobacco products (packaging and labeling) Rules, 2008 (according to the notification of the Ministry of Health). The team of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has seized the entire container under the sections of the Customs Act.

They have dangerous effects on youth- Dri
DRI officials said that such illegal smuggling causes large -scale loss of revenue to the government, as well as spoils the right competition in the domestic tobacco industry and becomes a threat to public health.

Officials said that these foreign cigarettes usually disregard health standards such as the Pictorial Warning and content information fixed in the COTPA Act, especially the youth and economically weaker sections are at risk of irregular and potentially more harmful products.

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