Paytm crisis: No ED investigation either against company or CEO, company asserts

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is neither investigating owner of Paytm brand- One97 Communications- nor its founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma for money laundering, the company said.

"Neither the Company nor its founder and CEO are being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate regarding inter alia money laundering. In the past, certain merchants/users on our platforms have been subject to enquiries and on those occasions, we have always cooperated with the authorities," Paytm said in a regulatory filing.

We have cooperated with the agencies during any investigations by the authorities on any set of merchants or users in the past, it said, adding, “We would like to set the record straight and deny any involvement in anti-money laundering activities. We have and continue to abide by Indian laws and take regulatory orders with utmost seriousness.”

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This comes following a recent RBI order that barred Paytm Payments Bank Ltd from taking any further deposits, conducting credit transactions or carrying out top-ups on any customers accounts, prepaid instruments, wallets, cards for paying road tolls after February 29.

Meanwhile, traders' body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) issued a cautionary advice urging Paytm users to switch to other payment apps.

Traders are advised to use payment platforms other than Paytm for business-related transactions, it said.

CAIT noted, "The Reserve Bank of India has imposed certain restrictions, prompting CAIT to recommend that users take proactive measures to protect their funds and ensure uninterrupted financial transactions. Large number of small traders, vendors, hawkers and women are making payments through Paytm and as such RBI restrictions on Paytm could lead financial disruption to these people."