ED’s Lucknow zonal office has temporarily attached properties worth Rs 7.30 crore of Annie Group of Companies. This action has been taken under PMLA. The matter is of money laundering case related to M/s Any Bullion Traders and its associated companies.
ED attached a total of 4 properties
This time ED has attached a total of 4 properties, which include 3 immovable properties (land and building), one movable property (fixed deposit). These land and buildings are in the name of Ani Group company Ani Bullion Industries Pvt. Ltd. and are located in Lucknow, Delhi and Uttarkashi of Uttarakhand.
ED had started the investigation on the basis of several FIRs and complaints filed by Uttar Pradesh Police. It is alleged that Ajit Kumar Gupta and his associates lured common people to invest money in various schemes.
Investigation reveals fraud of Rs 110 crore
People were told that their money would be safe and they would get good returns. But investigation revealed that fraud of about Rs 110 crore was done. Investors’ money was collected and routed through different companies, so that the real source could be hidden. ED investigation revealed that the money taken from investors was routed through several companies of ‘Annie Group’ and a society M/s I Vision Credit Co-operative Society.
This society is also said to be under the control of Ajit Kumar Gupta. With this money, properties were later purchased and shown in the name of Anee Bullion Industries Pvt Ltd.
Earlier also in the year 2023, ED had taken major action in this case. At that time, properties worth about Rs 9.1 crore of Ajit Kumar Gupta, his wife Niharika Singh (IFS) and Ani Group companies were attached. Till now, assets worth Rs 16.4 crore have been attached in this case. ED says that the investigation of the case is still going on.
