Tainted IRS officer gifted Rs 1.75 lakh gold payal to Kerala actress, claims ED

A tainted IRS officer Sachin Sawant who was nabbed in June in a money-laundering case, had allegedly lavished a Rs 1.75-lakh 'payal' to his purported girlfriend and a Kerala actress, the Enforcement Directorate has claimed in its charge-sheet.

The ED has alleged that Sawant, 43 - who was once its former Deputy Director in Mumbai besides holding different positions with Customs and GST departments, as an ex-OSD to a Minister in the Maharashtra government - had amassed huge wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.

This included around Rs 4.11-crore earned through illegal sources and Rs 2.5 crore in the name of self and family members, some associates and even his driver, over the past nearly 15 years, most of which are now under scrutiny for money-laundering.

According to a statement to ED by his driver, Sawant had travelled from Mumbai to Kochi (Kerala) several times to meet his 'girlfriend' who was his neighbour in Mumbai, and on one occasion gifted her the expensive gold anklet.

However, the accused officer's legal team has denied all the ED allegations, claiming he is being framed and said that all the expenses are fully accounted for.

The ED, which had raided Sawant's premises in Mumbai, Lucknow and other places, contended that the monies the IRS officer generated through shady means, was deposited in the bank accounts of his wife, parents, kin and others and part of it was used to repay loans or purchase various assets, including real estate.

Sawant is also accused of investing his ill-gotten wealth in the accounts of companies owned/controlled by relatives or friends, and later ploughed back disguised as 'salaries' to them.

The ED, which filed the money-laundering case based on a CBI complaint, is attempting to trace out more assets and where Sawant may have diverted his ill-earned monies.