4 months ago
1
The Directorate of Enforcement’s Hyderabad zonal bureau arrested an imposter, Kalyan Banerjee, for attempting to interfere with an ongoing wealth laundering probe and for trying to stall the auction of properties attached successful the high-profile ponzi strategy lawsuit successful which Nowhera Shaik is the premier accused.
Banerjee was arrested connected January 10 successful transportation with a probe nether the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, and was produced earlier the peculiar PMLA tribunal astatine Nampally a time later. The tribunal remanded him to judicial custody till January 23.
The ED has been investigating Nowhera Shaik and others connected the ground of aggregate FIRs registered by constabulary authorities successful antithetic States. According to the agency, the accused had collected investments of much than ₹5,978 crore from the nationalist by promising returns exceeding 36% annually, but allegedly failed to instrumentality adjacent the main amounts, thereby cheating thousands of investors.
The ED said its probe revealed that a information of the alleged proceeds of transgression was utilized to acquisition immovable properties successful the names of Nowhera Shaik, her companies and relatives. Properties worth astir ₹428 crore person truthful acold been attached, and prosecution complaints, including supplementary complaints, person been filed earlier the peculiar PMLA tribunal successful Hyderabad.
With matters pending earlier the Supreme Court, the ED had sought support to auction confirmed attached properties truthful that the proceeds could beryllium returned to victims. After obtaining support from the Supreme Court, respective properties were enactment up for auction done MSTC. The bureau said Nowhera Shaik repeatedly attempted to stall the auctions by approaching the Supreme Court and the Telangana High Court. Her past petition, filed to halt an auction held connected January 5, was dismissed by the High Court, which besides imposed an exemplary outgo of ₹5 crore, directing that the magnitude beryllium deposited successful the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.
The ED alleged that aft failing to unafraid ineligible relief, Nowhera Shaik engaged Banerjee connected a monthly outgo and committee basis. Banerjee allegedly contacted ED officers done calls and messages, falsely claiming proximity to elder bureaucrats and politicians, and attempted to power the auction process. When officials insisted connected owed ineligible procedure, helium allegedly began threatening them and exerting unit to stall the auctions.
Based connected quality inputs, the ED said Banerjee was identified arsenic an imposter who had been posing arsenic a advisor to assorted departments. He was traced to Secunderabad, wherever a hunt nether Section 17 of the PMLA was conducted astatine his premises connected January 10. His mobile phones allegedly contained incriminating WhatsApp chats with Nowhera Shaik and her associates, indicating attempts to manipulate the probe and judicial process done unethical means, including plans to alienate properties acquired from alleged proceeds of transgression and gain amerciable commissions.
In statements recorded nether the PMLA, Banerjee admitted to impersonation and to acting connected the directions of Nowhera Shaik and her associates. The ED said helium knowingly assisted them successful activities connected with the alleged proceeds of crime.
