Lucknow,

07 Aug (HS): The Enforcement Directorate searched the city on Thursday as part

of a money laundering investigation involving suspended IAS officer and former

Invest Uttar Pradesh CEO Abhishek Prakash, an alleged intermediary Nikant Jain,

and others, according to official sources. Four locations associated to Jain,

who allegedly sought for a bribe on Prakash's behalf, are being searched

throughout the city under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA),

according to officials.

Apart

from Jain's residence in Viram Khand, Gomti Nagar, two locations listed as

offices for companies belonging to him and his family members are being

searched. They said the fourth is a hotel with common directors from his

family. Jain was previously arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police as part of the

investigation into this case.

The

Uttar Pradesh government dismissed Prakash, a 2006-batch IAS officer, in March

of this year after a solar sector investor filed a complaint stating that Jain

requested a commission to assist project clearances. Invest UP is the state's

investment promotion agency, which seeks to attract and facilitate

investments. Prakash was the company's

CEO. Jain was detained for allegedly demanding money from an entrepreneur in

exchange for clearing his proposal with the assistance of Invest UP

authorities, officials claimed earlier. According to the police FIR, an

industrial organization filed to set up a solar manufacturing facility in the

state through InvestUP. The case was assessed by an evaluation committee, and a

senior Invest UP official advised the applicant to contact Jain.

According

to the police, Jain reportedly requested a 5% commission (bribe) to secure

approvals from the Empowered Committee and the state cabinet while forcing the

applicant to pay an advance. When the applicant declined to cooperate, Jain

reportedly warned him that the project would not proceed without his

involvement, implying that bureaucratic barriers were purposefully erected to

extort bribes, according to the FIR.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi