CBI raids Ibobi’s residences; Rs 11 lakh in cash, old currency worth Rs 26 lakh seized

New Delhi: The CBI on Friday carried out searches at nine locations in Manipur, Meghalaya and Haryana, including the residence of former Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and said that it has recovered cash to the tune of Rs 11.47 lakh and Rs 26.49 lakh in demonetized currency from his residence.

A CBI source said here that during the searches at two residential premises of Singh in Manipur, the CBI found Rs 11.47 lakh cash and approximately Rs 26.49 lakh in old demonetized currency.

He said the Central probe agency also found some branded items and eight luxury cars like Audi, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Honda and Hyundai at his residence.

Earlier in the day, the former Manipur Chief Minister who was in Delhi, commented on the CBI searches at his residence saying that he will cooperate with the agency.

“I welcome it. I have also said that if they think that I have committed something wrong only after investigation can it be proved,” Ibobi Singh told IANS.

He said, “Not only CBI, whether its ED or NIA they are always welcome and I will give them fullest support.” The CBI has carried out raids at nine locations in Aizawl, Imphal and Gurugram simultaneously in connection to its probe into the Rs 332 government development funds misappropriation case. Singh was the Chairman of the Manipur Development Society (MDS) from 2006 to 2017.

The CBI has taken over the investigation of two cases registered by the Manipur police on November 20 on the request of the Manipur government and further notification from the central government.

Besides, Singh, the CBI has booked Y. Ningthem Singh, former Project Director of MDS, DS Poonia, IAS (retd), the then Chairman of MDS, PC Lawmuknga, IAS (retd), the then Chairman of MDS, O Nabakishore Singh, IAS (retd), S Ranjit Singh, Administrative Officer, MDS and others.

The CBI said it was alleged that the accused while working as Chairman of the Manipur Development Society from June 30, 2006 to July 2017, in conspiracy with others misappropriated government funds to the tune of Rs 332 crore out of the total amount of Rs 518 crore which was given to them for executing various works.

From the residence of Y Ningthem Singh the agency recovered Rs 10 lakh in demonetized currency and documents of immovable property - two double-storeyed houses built over 3500 square yards with garden and swimming pool.

The agency said that during searches at the residence of Pooniait it found the documents pertaining to one flat in Uniworld city in Gurugram, one residential plot in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida, two shops in New Delhi’s Dwarka and one flat in Saket, one Hyundai Creta car and seven bank accounts.

From the residence of Lawmuknga, the CBI found Rs 4 lakh in cash and from the residence of O. Nabakishore Singh the agency found documents pertaining to a four-storeyed building of 7000 sq ft along with two houses, nine bank accounts and immovable properties - one flat in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, one in Haryana’s Gurugram, an under-construction two-storeyed building in Manipur and a Hyundai dealership in the name of his sons and wife at Imphal.

The source said that from the residence of S Ranjit Singh, the agency found documents for a double storeyed house in Aizawl and two acres of agricultural land near Imphal in the name of his wife. A senior CBI official requesting anonymity said that the agency has recovered cash to the tune of Rs 15.47 lakh from all the nine locations which were searched today. And Rs 36.49 lakh in demonetised currency. (IANS)

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