New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday said it has attached a plot, building, an SUV and cash totalling Rs 1.15 crore of a court translator and his family members in Tamil Nadu as part of a probe against him in an alleged court funds embezzlement case.
The accused C Thinagaraja was first booked by the district crime branch (DCB) of Pattukkottai police in Thanjavur district for "misappropriation of judicial court funds", it said in a statement. Thinagaraja, while working as translator/central nazir at IIIrd additional district court at Pattukottai handled motor accident claim tribunal's related payment works during which he "fraudulently" prepared and signed payment instructions to banks "without" the signature of the the Judge.
He is alleged to have "forged" cheques signed by the Judge and "illicitly deposited cheques into his own bank accounts and thus misappropriated judicial court funds amounting to Rs 1.15 crore." Thinagaraja, the ED alleged, with this money purchased a plot with ground floor house in the name of his wife Manimozhi for Rs 44 lakh at Pattukottai and further spent Rs 31 lakh for construction of its first floor, bought an Innova Crysta car for Rs 18 lakh in the name of his son and kept Rs 20.50 lakh at his residence, which was first seized by the DCB.
Upon establishing the money trail of the "proceeds of crime" with the assets acquired, the movable and immovable properties valued at Rs 1.15 Crore, belonging to C Thinagaraja and his family members, were provisionally attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the ED said.
