New Delhi/Chandigarh: In a significant development in an ongoing corruption probe, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached assets worth several crores belonging to retired Haryana cadre IAS officer Murari Lal Tayal under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The assets include a massive ₹14.06 crore in bank balance, two houses, and seven apartments spread across Chandigarh, New Delhi, and Gurgaon.
The ED made the announcement via official social media platforms on Monday, though the attachment was formally executed on June 30.
Served as Top Bureaucrat Under CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda
Murari Lal Tayal, a 1976-batch officer, served as Principal Secretary to the then Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda from March 6, 2005, to October 31, 2009. He was later appointed as a Member of the Competition Commission of India (CCI), serving from November 30, 2009, to December 31, 2014.
The central agency’s action follows an extensive probe into allegations that Tayal amassed wealth far exceeding his known sources of income during his bureaucratic tenure, particularly while holding key government positions.
CBI FIRs Paved Way for Money Laundering Probe
The ED’s investigation is based on First Information Reports (FIRs) filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The first FIR was registered on August 12, 2015, in connection with irregularities in land acquisition in Manesar. During the investigation, a second FIR was filed in 2017 specifically accusing Tayal of possessing disproportionate assets from 2006 to 2014.
The Enforcement Directorate found that Tayal’s accumulated wealth and property holdings were not aligned with his legal income, triggering attachment proceedings.
Family Under ED Lens: Wife and Son Also Being Investigated
Apart from Tayal, the ED is also scrutinising financial records and income tax filings of his wife Savita Tayal and son Kartik Tayal. Savita Tayal, a retired college principal, was appointed as a member of the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) and served until her retirement in 2016.
Authorities are also investigating possible involvement of family members in financial transactions, real estate deals, and asset ownership, in connection with the alleged laundering of funds.
- Properties and Financial Assets Under Attachment
- The list of provisionally attached properties includes:
- Bank balance of ₹14.06 crore
- Two high-value residential houses
- Seven apartments in premium locations of Chandigarh, Delhi, and Gurgaon
The total value of the attached assets is estimated to be in the range of ₹25–30 crore (unofficial estimates), marking it one of the most high-profile PMLA attachments in Haryana’s recent bureaucratic history.
More Seizures Likely as Probe Deepens
Sources within the ED suggest that further seizures or summons may follow, depending on forensic examination of property records, financial transactions, and income disclosures. Authorities are also cross-verifying Tayal’s declared income against the assets discovered.
