ED attaches 56 residential plots worth Rs 6 crore in Katthiwada BEO embezzlement case

Indore: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Indore sub-zonal office, has provisionally attached 56 residential plots in Dhar under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002.

The action is part of an ongoing probe into fraudulent clearance of bills and misappropriation of govt funds totalling Rs 20.47 crore from block education office (BEO) in Alirajpur’s Katthiwada.The ED initiated its money laundering investigation based on an FIR registered at the Katthiwada police station. The FIR alleged that fraudulent treasury payments worth Rs 20.47 crore were executed from BEO Katthiwada between 2018 and 2023, an official press release stated.According to the ED, the primary accused, Kamal Rathore, colluded with others to embezzle government funds from Alirajpur treasury. The diverted money was routed through multiple bank accounts managed by Rathore and his family members, withdrawn in cash, and used to purchase agricultural land in Gandhwani, Dhar district.Subsequent investigation revealed that these agricultural lands, identified as proceeds of crime, were converted into residential plots under a project named ‘Shri Balaji Dham’ to disguise the illicit origin of the assets.

The market value of the 56 provisionally attached plots exceeds Rs 6 crore.Earlier in the investigation, the ED conducted searches that led to the seizure of incriminating documents, freezing of bank accounts, and arrest of Kamal Rathore.Prior to this latest action, assets worth Rs 4.43 crore belonging to the accused were provisionally attached, which was confirmed on March 10. A formal prosecution complaint was also filed against Rathore and other accused before Special PMLA court in Indore on Sept 29, 2025.