EOW to probe charges against firm owned by wife of ex-U'khand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat's aide

Dehradun: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Uttarakhand Police will launch a probe into money-laundering charges, involving an amount of around Rs 200 crore, against a firm owned by the wife of a close aide of former chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, according to officials.

Rawat resigned as the chief minister in March last year, following a "collective decision" by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Sworn in to the top post on March 18, 2017, he had only nine days left to complete four years in office when he had to put in his papers.

The BJP retained power in the state in the Assembly polls held earlier this year.

The opposition parties, led by the Congress, have alleged that Dehradun-based Social Mutual Benefit Company Limited, owned by the wife of Rawat's former advisor K S Panwar, got bank accounts opened in the names of thousands of people fraudulently between 2017 and 2020, and converted black money into white.

They have also claimed that Panwar quit as the firm's director after being appointed as the chief minister's advisor and made his wife the director of the company.

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) V Murugesan said on Tuesday that the probe in the matter has been handed over to the EOW and further action will be taken on the basis of its report.

According to the ADGP, the enquiry was ordered on a complaint from Independent MLA from Khanpur in ​​Haridwar, Umesh Kumar.

The allegations first surfaced in 2020 when state Congress chief Karan Mahara and former party MLA Qazi Nizamuddin raised the issue in the Winter Session of the state Assembly.

Demanding that the matter should now be looked into thoroughly, Mahara said the Congress will keep a close watch on the developments.

"The truth should come out after a thorough investigation. We are keeping a close watch on the government's actions. If there is any lapse, we will play the role that is expected of a responsible opposition," the Congress leader said.