Lucknow, Dec 22 (IANS) A special court in Uttar Pradesh has taken cognisance of a chargesheet filed by the ED against ex-legislator Vijay Mishra and others in a case related to the incorporation of a company for laundering Rs 36 crore, an official said on Monday.

The chargesheet was filed by the ED on July 31 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, against Vijay Mishra, ex-MLA of Bhadohi Constituency, Ram Lali Mishra, ex-member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, and three other accused, namely Vishnu Kumar Mishra, company VSP Starrr Realty and Bholanath Rajpati Shukla.

The Special Court took cognisance of the chargesheet filed by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Allahabad Sub-Zonal Office, on December 18, said an ED statement.

The ED had filed a Prosecution Complaint (PC) under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, on July 31, 2025.

According to the probe agency, movable and immovable properties acquired out of the Proceeds of Crime (POC) have been attached under the provisions of PMLA, 2002. The total value of assets attached in the case is Rs 25.46 crore, which includes commercial and residential properties located in Prayagraj, New Delhi, Mumbai and Rewa.

The December 18 development in the Special Court is expected to be followed by the issuance of a process (summons or warrant) to the accused, followed by the framing of charges, where the court may consider formally outlining the allegations.

The ED initiated an investigation based on an FIR registered by Uttar Pradesh Police against Vijay Mishra, Ram Lali Mishra, and others.

Subsequently, charge sheets dated July 14, 2023 and July 26, 2023, were filed by the Uttar Pradesh Police under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act for the accumulation of disproportionate assets worth Rs 36.07 crore.

The illegal assets were in the form of movable and immovable properties during their tenure as public servants, said the probe agency.

Apart from the said case, multiple criminal cases were found to be registered against Vijay Mishra and his family members across Uttar Pradesh for offences including extortion, illegal mining, kidnapping, murder, loot, fraud, forgery, cheating, criminal conspiracy, and organised crime, reflecting a long-standing criminal history, the ED said.

The ED investigation revealed that Vijay Mishra and Ram Lali Mishra, while serving as public servants, misused their official positions to generate illegal assets disproportionate to their source of income.

The Proceeds of Crime (POC) were invested in the form of benami properties. It was found that the POC generated from the criminal activities of Vijay Mishra and his family members were layered with the assistance of his son, Vishnu Mishra, and a close aide, Bholanath Shukla, said the statement.

The illegal assets were utilised in business activities to project the same as untainted. It was further revealed that a portion of the POC was transferred under the guise of a loan with the intent to portray it as untainted money, it said.

–IANS

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