ED files chargesheet against IFS officer Neeharika Singh, husband over investment fraud

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has filed a chargesheet against Indian Foreign Service (IFS) office Neeharika Singh, her husband Ajit Kumar Gupta and his companies on charges of investment fraud.

In a statement, the ED said it had filed the chargesheet on September 2 and a special court in Lucknow has taken cognisance of the chargesheet on November 25.

Neeharika, 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. Neeharika, who was last posted in Delhi, was questioned by the ED in this case.

The agency initiated investigation on the basis of 33 FIRs registered between 21 February, 2020 and 26 October, 2020 at various police stations of Uttar Pradesh under various sections of Indian Penal Code against Gupta and various other persons. Subsequently 25 charge-sheets in 12 FIRs were filed.

During ED investigation, the agency claimed, it came to light that Gupta in connivance with his other associates collected huge money from gullible investors by floating various fraudulent schemes namely Daily Deposit Scheme, Monthly Recurring Deposit Scheme and Fixed Scheme among others.

Gupta along with others allegedly promised "exorbitant rate of returns as high as 40% per annum which they failed to return", the ED said.

"Later, he started collecting money from investors by using the account of M/s 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 investments were never returned and the innocent people were cheated to the tune of Rs 60 crore, it said.

"ED investigation further revealed that the Proceeds of Crime (POC) 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. in the name of Ajit Gupta, his IFS wife Niharika Singh and others," it said.

During investigations, the ED had attached assets worth Rs 9.10 crore.