The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Mumbai has provisionally attached assets valued at about Rs 1.03 crore belonging to Hitesh Kumar Singla, a suspended Bank of India officer, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This attachment includes bank balances in accounts allegedly used for illegal money transfers, with the Provisional Attachment Order issued on February 9.
The ED’s investigation stemmed from an FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), ACB Mumbai, against Singla and others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Singla, who was on the run, was apprehended by the ED last year and a charge sheet was submitted to the special PMLA Court in Mumbai, where he is currently in judicial custody.
Singla is accused of illicitly closing numerous customer accounts, diverting funds totaling around Rs 16.80 crore into his personal accounts at the State Bank of India. The investigation highlighted that Singla targeted vulnerable account holders to avoid detection, diverting funds into investments, gaming platforms, cryptocurrency transactions, and personal expenses. Further inquiries into the case are ongoing.
