ED files chargesheet against IFS officer, husband in investment 'fraud'-linked money laundering case

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday said it has filed a chargesheet against Indian Foreign Service officer Neeharika Singh, her husband, and his companies as part of an alleged investment fraud linked money laundering case.

A special court in Lucknow has taken cognisance of the prosecution complaint (chargesheet) on November 25. It was filed on September 2, the agency said in a statement.

The IFS officer, her husband Ajit Kumar Gupta, Anee Bullion and Industries Pvt. Ltd., Anee Commodity Brokers Pvt. Ltd., and Anee Securities Pvt. Ltd. have been named as accused in the chargesheet filed under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Singh was questioned by the ED in this case and she was last stated to have been posted with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in Delhi.

The money laundering investigation began after the ED took cognisance of 33 FIRs registered by the Uttar Pradesh Police against Gupta and various other persons/entities, for "cheating and fraud" worth Rs 110 crore by "luring" various people to invest in "fraudulent" schemes with the intention to defraud them between 21.02.2020 and 26.10.2020, according to the ED.

Police have also filed 25 chargesheets in at least 12 cases, it said.

Gupta, the agency alleged, in connivance with his other associates collected huge money from gullible investors by floating "fraudulent" schemes like daily deposit schemes, monthly recurring deposit schemes, and fixed schemes through his proprietorship concern Anee Bullion Trader with a promise of "exorbitant" rate of returns at 40 per cent per annum, which they "failed" to return.

Later, he started collecting money from investors by using the account of Eye Vision Credit Co-operative Society Ltd. through his close associates who were the office bearers of the said society in the name of new return-linked investment schemes, the probe found.

These investments were "never returned" and innocent people were cheated to the tune of Rs 60 crore, the ED alleged.

"The proceeds of crime generated by Ajit Gupta by luring the gullible investors was further layered through various companies of Anee Group and was used for purchase of various immovable properties like house, agriculture land etc. for himself and in the name of his IFS wife Neeharika Singh and others," it said.

Assets worth more than Rs 9 crore were attached by the ED in this case earlier.