ED Files Chargesheet Against Former Odisha IFS Officer Abhay Pathak & Son in Money Laundering Case

Bhubaneswar: Former Odisha cadre Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Abhay Kant Pathak and his son Akash Pathak are facing charges in a money laundering case, as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) files a 300-page chargesheet. The ED has listed 40 witnesses in connection with the case. The court will proceed with hearings once responses from the defendants are received.

In May 2023, the ED provisionally seized assets valued at Rs 66 lakh from Pathak under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The investigation stemmed from an FIR by the Vigilance department, regarding alleged possession of disproportionate assets amounting to approximately Rs 9 crore by Pathak and his family.

In relation to the money laundering case, searches were conducted against Pathak, a former Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Addl. PCCF) in Odisha. The ED had previously searched Pathak’s residence in December 2021, attaching assets worth Rs 29.83 lakh.

It’s noteworthy that Pathak faced compulsory retirement in 2021 due to allegations of accumulating disproportionate assets. Additionally, Pathak and his son have faced other cases involving charges of deceiving individuals with promises of employment at Tata Motors. During one search, the ED seized a BMW car valued at around Rs 75 lakh from Pathak’s son.