Corruption in the railway bureaucracy faces renewed scrutiny as ED’s Visakhapatnam unit attaches ₹1.39 crore worth of properties from former Deputy Chief Engineer Allaboinaina Satish. The 2001 IRSE officer, once overseeing designs at Guwahati’s North Frontier Railway, saw his unexplained wealth—flats, plots, and fixed deposits in family names—provisionally frozen under PMLA.
Investigators found these assets, spanning nine residential units and three FDs, grossly mismatched with Satish’s official income. Triggered by CBI’s Visakhapatnam ACB FIR under anti-corruption laws, the case highlights acquisitions from 2008-2016 exceeding legitimate earnings by 83.30%.
Delving deeper, ED exposed how crime proceeds were laundered: Massive cash deposits into accounts of Satish, his wife, and father-in-law, followed by property purchases through banking channels or cash handovers to intermediaries. No justifications or source documents were forthcoming from the accused.
Attachment was imperative to block any alienation of tainted assets, affirming their illicit origins. This operation aligns with ED’s sustained efforts to dismantle corruption networks in railways, stemming from a 2016 CBI registration.
As the agency presses forward, this serves as a stark warning to errant officials. Confiscating unlawful gains restores public trust and bolsters fiscal integrity, with further developments expected.