ED attaches assets worth Rs 12.98 crore of former Jodhpur National University chief

JAIPUR: The zonal unit of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) provisionally attached movable and immovable assets of nearly Rs 12.98 crore belonging to Kamal Mehta, former chairman of Jodhpur National University, his family members and others under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).
The attachment was made in connection to a case relating to issuance of fake degrees and marksheets.
The attached assets include 12 flats, 3 plots, a building and 31 bigha agriculture land in Jaipur, Jodhpur, New Delhi and amounts lying in bank accounts.
ED sources said it had initiated investigation under PMLA on the basis of an FIR and a chargesheet filed by the special thana, SOG, Jaipur, against Mehta and his associates under Section 120-B to be read with 420, 467, 468 of IPC for issuance of fake degrees and marksheets.
“According to the case, accused Mehta, managing trustee of Kushal Education Trust, had established Jodhpur National University, Jodhpur, in 2008 under the trust. While working as the chairman of Jodhpur National University, he actively indulged in running a syndicate for issuing and selling fake degrees and marksheets to students for money. He appointed four national coordinators of Jodhpur National University by issuing fake authorization letters in the name of registrar of the university for the purpose of collection of fees, forms, conduct of examination etc,” said a senior officer of ED.
Investigation conducted so far under PMLA revealed that accused Mehta had illegally received around Rs 22.3 crore through these national coordinators.
“These amounts were deposited in various bank accounts opened in the name of Jodhpur National University, Kushal Education Trust and Surya Nagri Education Trust and other different entities at Jaipur and Jodhpur. The investigation further revealed that the accused established parallel office in Jaipur to facilitate distribution of fake degree and mark sheets and issued more than 25,000 degrees/marksheets to various students from 2010 to 2014,” the officer added.
Earlier, the ED has attached movable & immovable properties of Rs 8.53 crore of Mehta, Kushal Education Trust and others. Now including this attachment, the in the case is Rs 21.51 crore.