In its ongoing money laundering probe, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has revealed that the grant-in-aid of Rs 71.50 lakh received by Dr Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust was "not used for holding camps" as sanctioned by the Central government and it was "diverted" by former minister Salman Khurshid's wife Louise Khurshid and other accused for the interest of the trust and their personal gain.
Besides Louise, the then project director, the ED has accused Pratyush Shukla, a representative of Dr Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, and one Mohammad Athar, the then secretary of the trust, for misusing the government's money.
The agency made the revelation in a statement issued on Monday, days after the Prevention of Money Laundering Act court in Lucknow took cognisance of its Prosecution Complaint (PC) on November 25.
The ED's Lucknow zonal office had filed a PC on August 11, seeking confiscation of properties worth Rs 45.92 lakh and conviction of the accused persons in the case.
The ED has accused Dr Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, Louise Khurshid, and Mohammad Athar of their involvement in the offence of money laundering related to the misuse of government funds in the distribution of artificial limbs and equipment by the trust for their personal gains.
"ED investigation revealed that the grant-in-aid of Rs 71.50 lakh received by the trust was not used for holding camps as sanctioned by the Central government. The funds were instead allegedly diverted by Pratyush Shukla, Mohammad Athar, and Louise Khurshid for the interest of the Trust and their personal gain," reads the ED statement.
The ED had earlier provisionally attached 15 immovable properties worth Rs 29.51 lakh, in the form of agricultural land, in Uttar Pradesh's Farrukhabad, and Rs 16.41 lakh lying in the four bank accounts linked to the trust.
ED initiated an investigation based on 17 First Information Reports (FIRs) registered by the Uttar Pradesh Police's Economic Offences Wing against Pratyush Shukla and others.
The police have filed chargesheets in all 17 cases against Athar Farooqui, alias Mohammed Athar, and Louise.
