Former Gujarat IAS Officer Pradeep Sharma Sentenced to 5 Years Jail in PMLA Case

Ahmedabad | Gujarat — The PMLA court in Ahmedabad has imposed a five-year prison sentence on former Gujarat IAS officer Pradeep Sharma following a complaint lodged under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).  The court has stated in the verdict that the property seized by the government will remain on an as is, where is basis. 

A case was filed against Pradeep Sharma under the PMLA in both 2016 and 2018.  During his tenure as the Kutch Collector, Pradeep Sharma faced allegations of harming the government by selling land to the Welspun Group company at a reduced price.  A complaint was filed against him in 2010 at the Rajkot CID Crime Police Station.  Subsequently, in 2016, the ED submitted a complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to the special PMLA court situated at the Ahmedabad Rural Court.  Pradeep Sharma faces allegations of transferring crores of rupees in corruption to the accounts of his wife, son, and daughter residing in the United States (US).

This sentence must be served following the completion of the sentence in other cases.

The court has announced the sentence in the case against Pradeep Sharma under PMLA, stating that he will serve this sentence separately from the one he is currently serving.  In addition to this, the property attached by the ED will continue to be held by the government.

Eight months prior, the Bhuj court had likewise issued a sentence in a land allotment case.

Serious charges were established against four officers, including the former Collector of Kutch, Pradeep Sharma.  In this instance, he received a sentence of five years in prison along with a fine of Rs. 10,000.  The allotment of government land in Samaghogha, Mundra to Soappipe US Limited was conducted in violation of established rules.  The government circular states that the collector was authorized to allocate land not exceeding 2 hectares.  In spite of this limitation, Pradeep Sharma authorized 47,173 square meters of land.  The court sentenced Pradeep Sharma to 5 years in prison.

Pradeep Sharma served as an IAS officer from the 1999 batch.

 Pradeep Sharma, a chemistry graduate, successfully passed the Gujarat Administrative Service Examination and assumed the role of Deputy Collector in 1981.  Following his promotion as an IAS officer in 1999, he served as the Commissioner of the Jamnagar and Bhavnagar Municipal Corporations.  Subsequently, he assumed the role of Collector for the Rajkot and Kutch districts.  We are consistently refreshing this news.