New Delhi/Bhopal: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached assets worth ₹22.5 crore linked to late IAS officer Arvind Joshi, his associates and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with a disproportionate assets case that has remained under investigation for more than a decade.
The latest attachment includes a cricket academy, hotels, a resort and the underlying land at Semri Bajyafat village on the outskirts of Bhopal, taking the total value of assets attached in the case to over ₹36 crore. The agency had earlier attached properties worth around ₹13.6 crore.
The money laundering investigation stems from a disproportionate assets case registered by the Special Police Establishment (Lokayukta), Bhopal, against Arvind Joshi and his wife, former IAS officer Tinoo Joshi.
ED Attaches Cricket Academy, Hotels and Resort
According to the ED, the assets attached on Monday comprise commercial establishments, including a cricket academy, hotels, a resort and the land on which these properties are situated in Semri Bajyafat village near Bhopal.
The agency alleged that these properties were acquired using the proceeds of crime generated through abuse of official position and were held either directly or through family members and close associates.
With this attachment, the ED has now provisionally attached assets worth over ₹36 crore in the ongoing money laundering investigation.
Disproportionate Assets Case
The investigation originates from an FIR registered by the Lokayukta Police, Bhopal, which alleged that Arvind Joshi and Tinoo Joshi accumulated movable and immovable assets worth approximately ₹41.9 crore, disproportionate to their known sources of income.
The ED subsequently initiated a money laundering investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act based on the Lokayukta case.
According to the agency, the alleged proceeds of crime were invested in multiple assets and businesses using complex financial arrangements.
Alleged Use of Benami Entities
The Enforcement Directorate claimed that Arvind Joshi acquired properties in his own name as well as in the names of relatives and trusted associates.
According to the agency, benami entities, sham agreements and layered financial transactions were allegedly used to conceal the beneficial ownership of the assets and project them as legitimate investments.
The ED said the investigation has revealed a pattern of routing funds through associates to mask the origin of the money.
Faith Cricket Club Under Scanner
One of the key properties under attachment is linked to Faith Cricket Club.
The ED alleged that although the affairs of the cricket club were effectively managed by Arvind Joshi, investments for developing the cricket academy and related infrastructure were allegedly financed using illicit wealth through his associate Raghvendra Singh Tomar.
The agency believes the club and related infrastructure formed part of the alleged money laundering network.
Investigation Continues
The ED stated that this is the second major attachment in the case.
Earlier, it had provisionally attached assets worth around ₹13.6 crore. The agency said further investigation is underway to trace additional proceeds of crime and attach the remaining assets allegedly acquired through illegal means.
Who Was Arvind Joshi?
Arvind Joshi was a 1979-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre and one of the state’s most senior bureaucrats before his career was overshadowed by a high-profile corruption case.
Born in 1954, Joshi came from an influential family. His father, H.M. Joshi, belonged to the first batch of the Indian Police Service after Independence and later served as Director General of Police (DGP) in Madhya Pradesh.
Before joining the civil services, Arvind Joshi briefly served in the Indian Air Force. He later married his IAS batchmate Tinoo Joshi, and the couple went on to become one of the most prominent bureaucratic pairs in Madhya Pradesh.
Distinguished Administrative Career
During his more than three-decade-long career, Joshi held several important assignments in both the Central and State governments.
He served as:
- Deputy Secretary in the Union Ministry of Health
- Director in the Ministry of Railways
- Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Coal
Within the Madhya Pradesh government, he rose to the rank of Principal Secretary, handling departments including the Jails Department.
The 2010 Corruption Scandal
Arvind Joshi’s career took a dramatic turn in February 2010, when the Income Tax Department conducted extensive raids at his official residence in Bhopal.
Officials recovered ₹3.6 crore in cash, triggering one of the biggest disproportionate assets investigations involving serving IAS officers.
Subsequent investigations by the Lokayukta and the ED alleged that the couple amassed wealth worth ₹41.87 crore, which was reportedly over 3,000% higher than their known legitimate income.
Investigators also alleged that the couple accumulated hundreds of acres of agricultural land, multiple apartments, insurance investments, resorts and business interests, many of them allegedly held through benami entities.
Dismissal from IAS Service
Following the investigation, both Arvind Joshi and Tinoo Joshi were suspended by the Madhya Pradesh government.
In July 2014, the Central Government dismissed both officers from the Indian Administrative Service, marking the first instance in Madhya Pradesh of IAS officers being removed from service on corruption charges.
After evading arrest for some time, Arvind Joshi surrendered before a court in 2015 after the Supreme Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea.
Death and Continuing Investigation
During subsequent legal proceedings, Joshi’s lawyers informed the Supreme Court that he was suffering from advanced blood cancer.
He passed away on March 4, 2022, at the age of 68, while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in New Delhi.
Despite his death, investigations into the alleged proceeds of crime have continued.
The ED had earlier attached assets worth around ₹5 crore in January 2026 and has now carried out another attachment worth ₹22.5 crore, indicating that the money laundering investigation remains active.
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