NFR bribery case: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached movable and immovable assets worth around Rs 3.50 crore in a money-laundering investigation linked to alleged bribery involving late Ranjit Kumar Borah, a former Deputy Chief Electrical Engineer (Construction) of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), Maligaon, Guwahati. The action covers assets held in the name of Sonal Jain and is part of the agency’s ongoing probe into alleged proceeds generated through corruption in railway contracts.
ED attaches Rs 3.50 crore assets
The Enforcement Directorate’s Guwahati Zonal Office announced the provisional attachment on August 22. The attached properties include a residential flat in Patna, Bihar, valued at approximately Rs 3.28 crore, registered in the name of Sonal Jain.
The agency has also attached a term deposit of around Rs 21.24 lakh held by Sonal Jain with Canara Bank. Together, the two assets are valued at approximately Rs 3.50 crore.
The ED said the properties represent alleged proceeds of crime that were subsequently reinvested and integrated into other assets.
NFR bribery case originated from CBI probe
The NFR bribery case originated from an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation’s Anti-Corruption Branch-I in New Delhi against Borah and others.
The case was registered under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 7 and 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018. Investigators alleged that Borah and others demanded and accepted illegal gratification from private railway contractors in return for extending undue favours in the award and execution of NFR contracts.
According to investigation details cited by the ED, the CBI intercepted the delivery of alleged bribe money on December 14, 2021. The accused were subsequently arrested, and the CBI filed a charge sheet in 2022.
How the alleged money trail developed
The ED’s money-laundering investigation has focused on the alleged movement of funds after the bribery transactions.
According to the agency, Borah allegedly demanded and accepted bribes from Chintan Jain and Nayan Chandra Jain, proprietors of railway contracting firm M/s Sunshine. The alleged proceeds were then routed through the contractors.
The ED has alleged that the money was used to purchase a flat at Platinum Towers in Gurugram, Haryana, in the name of M/s Sunshine. That property was later sold in 2024 for approximately Rs 3.50 crore.
The agency further alleged that the sale proceeds moved through bank accounts belonging to M/s Sunshine, Chintan Jain and his wife, Sonal Jain. The funds were eventually used to repay home loans linked to the Patna residential property and to create term deposits with Canara Bank.
ED traces alleged proceeds through properties
The latest attachment is significant because the ED is seeking to trace the alleged proceeds of crime beyond the original bribery transaction. The agency’s investigation indicates that funds allegedly generated through the railway contracts were converted into property and financial investments before being moved into the assets now under attachment.
The ED has described the latest action as part of its continuing investigation into the alleged generation, use and laundering of proceeds connected with the railway bribery allegations.
Former railway officer died in 2024
Ranjit Kumar Borah died on September 6, 2024, while the investigation was still underway. His death, however, has not prevented the ED from proceeding against assets that it considers linked to alleged proceeds of crime.
The agency explained that attachment proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) are proceedings in rem, meaning they are directed against the property involved rather than being dependent solely on proceedings against an individual. As a result, the properties can be attached in the hands of their present holders if they are alleged to represent proceeds of crime.
Investigation into NFR bribery case continues
The latest ED action adds another layer to the NFR bribery case, which began with allegations of corruption in the award and execution of railway contracts. The agency’s focus is now on tracing and securing assets allegedly connected to the proceeds of those transactions.
The provisional attachment does not by itself amount to a final finding of guilt. Further proceedings under the PMLA and the underlying CBI case will determine the legal status of the allegations and properties involved. The ED said its investigation remains ongoing.
The asset attachment underscores the wider financial investigation arising from the alleged railway bribery network and highlights the ED’s effort to follow the suspected money trail from alleged illegal payments to property and bank investments.
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