Assets case -- CBI seizes bank accounts of V George, family

Assets case -- CBI seizes bank accounts of V George, family
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

NEW DELHI, MAR 28: In a significant development, the CBI has seized the bank accounts of Personal Secretary of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Vincent George against whom the agency has registered a case of acquisition of disproportionate assets.

The Special Investigating Unit of the agency began its operation last night and seized five bank accounts of George and his family members, highly-placed agency sources said here.

The five bank accounts - State Bank of India, Ansari Road in the name of Vincent George, three accounts in State Bank of India, Moti Nagar in the name of Lily George, Priyana George and Dennis George and another account in Canara Bank at Diplomatic Enclave in the name of Dennis George - were seized, the sources said.

All the five accounts were having a total amount of Rs 29 lakh, the sources said.

The agency had filed an FIR in the designated CBI court on March 20 accusing George and his family members of acquiring moveable and immovable assets worth Rs 2.5 crore during the period when he was Personal Secretary to Rajiv Gandhi between November 1984 and December 1990 when he was prime minister and later leader of the opposition.

CBI has registered a case under section 13 (2) read with 13 (I)(E) of Prevention of Corruption Act (Acquisition of disproportionate assets) against George in his capacity as public servant during that period.

A preliminary enquiry was registered against George on March 2000 on the basis of "disclosures" made by former deputy director of enforcement directorate Ashok Aggarwal, agency sources said.

The CBI has accused George of having accumulated disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 9.6 lakh during the period he was a public servant between November 1984 and December 1990.

The FIR says that his total income during the six year period was Rs 8.8 lakh and expenditure Rs 1.2 lakh. Savings during the period could be around Rs 7.6 lakh.

While assets of George were estimated as Rs 1.6 lakh in November 1984, they were put at Rs 18.82 lakh in December 1990, the agency said, adding, assets acquired between November 1984 to December 1990 were worth Rs 17.25 lakh.

The agency also alleged in the FIR that there was reason to believe that George might have acquired other assets also either in his own name or in the name of the members of his family or benami during his tenure as a public servant.

The Congress party had hit out at the government saying the CBI action showed its vendetta and the timing spoke volumes about its "designs, motives and intentions."