New Delhi, May 31 (IANS): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday said that they have attached assets worth Rs 66 lakh of former Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, Abhay Kant Pathak, for possessing assets disproportionate to his known source of income.

Pathak, a 1987 batch officer, was working in the capacity of Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Addl. PCCF), Plan, Programme and Afforestation in the office of the PCCF, Odisha.

The ED had initiated PMLA investigation based on the FIR registered by the Vigilance Cell police station, Cuttack (Odisha), related to acquisition of disproportionate assets by Pathak and his family members amounting to Rs 9.35 crore.

During the investigation, the ED also collected and examined several other FIRs and charge sheets registered/filed by Odisha Police involving his son Akash Kumar Pathak.

"These FIRs and charge sheets revealed the criminal activities of Akash and others who had duped the gullible people in lieu of providing jobs in Tata Motors," said the ED.

The ED had earlier carried out search operations and seized a BMW car. A Provision Attachment Order against Abhay Kant Pathak and others was also issued earlier in April 2022.

Further investigation in the matter is on.