ED Attaches IAS Padma Jaiswal's Assets Worth Rs 1.51 Crore

The Enforcement Directorate has issued a provisional attachment order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to freeze assets worth approximately Rs 1.51 crore linked to former Indian Administrative Service officer Padma Jaiswal and her family members. This financial enforcement action, which was executed on Friday, forms part of a broader investigation into alleged corruption and the diversion of public funds dating back to her official posting in Arunachal Pradesh.

According to the details released by the federal agency, the provisionally attached holdings comprise a commercial real estate property located in Chandigarh along with mutual fund investments valued at Rs 9 lakh. The commercial asset itself carries an estimated current market value of Rs 1.42 crore and is officially registered under the name of Jaiswal's brother, Vishu Bhanu Partap Mahto. Investigators claim that the immovable property was acquired using money that was allegedly misappropriated during her tenure as a civil servant.

The Enforcement Directorate attached Rs 1.51 crore in assets linked to former IAS officer Padma Jaiswal.

The money-laundering inquiry stems from a prior First Information Report registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The anti-corruption agency previously filed a chargesheet in August 2024 against Jaiswal and other public servants, invoking provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code. The central allegation centres on a criminal conspiracy hatched while she served as the Deputy Commissioner of the West Kameng district at Bomdila, during which government funds were allegedly diverted through the misuse of official authority.

Jaiswal's civil service career concluded in May 2026 when she was formally removed from service following the upholding of corruption charges during a departmental inquiry. Federal investigators are continuing to examine the financial trails and the utilisation of proceeds of crime under statutory provisions, scrutinising how funds obtained through alleged official misconduct were channelled into assets held by close relatives.

Why it matters

This legal development highlights ongoing efforts by anti-corruption authorities to penalize official misconduct and target assets acquired through the alleged misuse of public office. The action underscores the rigorous scrutiny applied to financial transactions involving public servants and their relatives.

For readers in India and the public administration sector, the case reinforces accountability measures within governance structures, demonstrating how regulatory bodies trace and attach properties suspected of being derived from illicit financial activities.