Bengaluru (Aryavarth): In a landmark judgement, the Special PMLA Court in Bhopal has delivered its verdict on Smt. Bharti Bhasne, convicting her under section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The court has sentenced Bhasne to three years of rigorous imprisonment, and imposed a fine of Rs. 50,000. A critical aspect of the judgement is the court’s decision to confiscate properties worth Rs 1,58,63,223, previously attached by the ED.
The investigation that led to this decisive verdict began with an FIR lodged by Lokayukta Police, Bhopal, against Jitendra Kumar Bhasne, a Superintending Engineer with the Public Works Department, and his wife, Bharti Bhasne. The FIR was registered for offences under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and the Indian Penal Code, accusing the couple of wrongful acquisition of Disproportionate Assets (DA) between June 1, 1998, and May 4, 2010.
As the investigation progressed, it was revealed that Bharti Bhasne had made investments amounting to Rs. 2,76,10,844 during the check period, under her name and the names of her family members. Intriguingly, it was discovered that Bhasne had used Rs. 1,58,63,223 from the proceeds of these illicit activities to acquire movable properties in the form of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Policies. These insurance policies, collectively valued at Rs. 1,58,63,223, were provisionally attached by the ED.
Unfortunately, before charges could be filed, Jitendra Bhasne passed away due to illness. In his absence, the ED proceeded to file a prosecution complaint against Bharti Bhasne on April 6, 2018. This concluded with the recent judgement of her conviction.