Divya
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been investigating a money laundering case related to a Gujarat-based pharmaceutical company.
The investigation is around Sterling Biotech group‘s decamped brothers Nitin Sandesara and Chetan Sandesara.
Nitin Sandesara, Chetan Sandesara and Chetan’s wife Dipti Sandesara have been declared fugitive economic offenders by a special court.
As per a report, the ED on Friday attached properties of actors Dino Moria and Sanjay Khan, late Congress leader Ahmed Patel’s son-in-law – Irfan Ahmed Siddiqui and DJ Aqeel. The investigation is currently on the basis of a money laundering case related to bank fraud.
The ED has reportedly said that the assets of the four people, worth ₹8.79 Crore in total, have been seized under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
In more shocking news, the case allegedly involves a sum of ₹14,500 Crore in bank-loan frauds. The ED has stated the amount to be greater than the fraud committed by fugitive businessman Nirav Modi, who was the chief beneficiary of the ₹11,400 Crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam.
The ED said that four separate preliminary orders have been issued under the PMLA to attach properties of the four aforementioned persons. The property is valued at ₹8.79 Crore. Of this, the value of attachment of assets for the four members are:
- Sanjay Khan is ₹3 Crore
- Dino Morea is ₹1.4 Crore
- Aqeel Abdulkhalil Bachooali / DJ Aqeel is ₹1.98 Crore
- Irfan Ahmed Siddiqui (late Congress leader Ahmed Patel’s son-in-law) is ₹2.41 crore
The ED stated they had enough evidence to claim that Dino Morea and Aqeel were illegally paid by the Gujarat-based pharmaceutical company, back in 2011-12. They had attended a family function organised by the Sandesara brothers.
It is said that the Sandesara brothers “diverted” proceedings of the bank loan fraud to these four people. Earlier, the central investigating agency had questioned Siddiqui, Morea, and Aqeel in the case. The ED also recorded the statement of Sandesara family employee Sunil Yadav, who said that Siddiqui was in possession of a house in Delhi’s Vasant Vihar, which allegedly belonged to Chetan Sandesara.
