Lucknow, Aug 7 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted searches here in connection with a money laundering case against suspended IAS officer and former Invest Uttar Pradesh CEO Abhishek Prakash, official sources said.

Four premises linked to alleged middleman Nikant Jain, who allegedly asked for a bribe on behalf of Prakash, are being searched in the city under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.

Apart from Jain's house, two premises registered as offices of companies related to him and his family members are being searched. The fourth is a hotel where his family members are common directors, they said.

Jain was arrested earlier by Uttar Pradesh Police.

Prakash, a 2006-batch IAS officer, was suspended in March this year by the Uttar Pradesh government after an investor in the solar industry lodged a complaint alleging that Jain demanded a commission to facilitate approvals for projects. PTI NES DIV DIV

Money laundering probe: searches at premises linked to an alleged middleman in alleged commission-for-approval scheme. Searches under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act targeted four premises linked to an alleged middleman - residence, two company offices, and a hotel with common-director family ties - to collect evidence regarding alleged money laundering connected to facilitation of project approvals for a suspended state investment body executive; the middleman was earlier arrested and the executive suspended following a complaint by a solar-sector investor alleging solicitation of a commission.