Lucknow: The Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) Allahabad Zonal Office on Wednesday conducted simultaneous searches at 11 locations in Jhansi and Lucknow in connection with a money-laundering investigation against former Samajwadi Party MLA from Garautha, Deep Narayan Singh Yadav, his family members and associates under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.Officials said the action was part of an ongoing probe to trace alleged proceeds of crime, examine beneficial ownership of assets and verify financial transactions and properties suspected to have been acquired through illicit means. The searches covered nine premises in Jhansi and two in Lucknow, including residential and business locations allegedly linked to the former legislator.In Lucknow, ED teams searched two flats that sources said are registered in the name of Yadav’s wife, Meera Yadav. One was a flat in Eldeco Emperor Apartments in Sarojini Nagar. The second was a flat at Sunrise Apartments in Sector-P of the Mansarovar Yojana on Kanpur Road. In Jhansi, simultaneous searches were carried out at Yadav’s ancestral residence, the residence of his brother-in-law and other premises linked to the case, sources said.Sources said both Lucknow flats are currently occupied by tenants.The money-laundering case is based on an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) registered after an FIR by the Uttar Pradesh Vigilance Establishment.The agency said the matter is linked to more than 23 scheduled offences under the PMLA. Investigators have also cited nearly 60 criminal cases allegedly registered against Yadav over the years. During the searches, ED officials examined property papers, bank records, digital devices and other financial material. The agency said documents and digital storage devices were seized and are being scrutinised to identify the money trail and individuals suspected of laundering funds.The searches follow recent action by Uttar Pradesh Police, which attached properties worth about ₹130 crore in Jhansi allegedly linked to Yadav under the Gangsters Act..
