ED Raids Ex-UP Invest CEO in Bribery Scandal
Searches target suspended IAS officer, middleman.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched searches across four locations in Lucknow on Thursday, targeting suspended IAS officer Abhishek Prakash, former CEO of Invest Uttar Pradesh, and alleged middleman Nikant Jain in a money laundering probe. The raids, conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), focus on Jain’s residence in Viram Khand, Gomti Nagar, two company offices linked to his family, and a hotel where family members are directors.
Prakash, a 2006-batch IAS officer, was suspended in March after a solar industry investor accused Jain of demanding a 5% commission to secure project approvals through Invest UP, the state’s investment promotion agency. Jain, arrested earlier by Uttar Pradesh Police, allegedly pressured an entrepreneur to pay an advance for clearances from the Empowered Committee and state cabinet, threatening bureaucratic delays if unpaid, according to the police FIR.
The case stems from an industrial group’s application to establish solar manufacturing units via Invest UP. After review by an evaluation committee, a senior official directed the applicant to Jain, who then demanded the bribe. The ED’s raids aim to uncover evidence of money laundering linked to these illicit transactions, spotlighting corruption allegations within Uttar Pradesh’s investment facilitation framework.
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