New Delhi

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested Uttar Pradesh mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari in connection with a Prevention of Money Laundering case.

In November, his son Abbas Ansari was placed under arrest after a nine-hour questioning by the ED.

The ED has now arrested the former BSP MLA, Mukhtar Ansari who is currently lodged in Uttar Pradesh's Banda jail.

It said that there was crucial evidence against him on the basis of which he has been placed under arrest.

The ED initiated the investigation under PMLA, 2002 against Mukhtar Ansari (former MLA) and his aides on the bases of multiple FIRs lodged by the Uttar Pradesh Police.

During the investigation, it came to the notice that two more FIRs were lodged against Vikas Constructions (a partnership firm) by Uttar Pradesh Police for constructing godowns on public/government land after encroaching it. The godowns were constructed in Mau and Ghazipur district of UP.

The firm Vikas Construction was being run by Afshan Ansari (wife of Mukhtar Ansari) and her two brothers, Atif Raza and Anwar Shahzad, and other two persons, Ravindra Narayan Singh and Zakir Hussain.

During the PMLA investigation, it was learnt that rent to the tune of Rs 15 crore was collected by Vikas Construction from Food Corporation of India by renting out the godowns illegally constructed by encroaching public/government land at Mau and Ghazipur district.

This rent was further used to purchase immovable properties in the name of Vikas Construction and Afshan Ansari.

After tracing out such immovable properties, the Directorate of Enforcement has provisionally attached seven immovable properties worth Rs 1.48 crore.

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The circle rate of attached properties at the time of registration was Rs 3.42 crore.