Unitech founder Ramesh Chandra, Preeti Chandra arrested in money-laundering case
Ramesh Chandra and his sons are also accused of defrauding the Canara Bank of ₹198 crore.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday arrested Unitech founder Ramesh Chandra, his daughter-in-law Preeti Chandra and wife of Sanjay Chandra under the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act), 2002. The central agency also arrested Rajesh Malik of Carnoustie Management (India) Pvt. They will be produced before a court on Tuesday.
The ED on Saturday attached 29 land parcels measuring 13,600 square metres, valued at ₹30.29 crore, with connection to the investigation being conducted against the Unitech group.
Ramesh Chandra and his sons are also accused of defrauding the Canara Bank of ₹198 crore.
The land parcels which were attached last week are situated in Noida Sector 96 and 98. They were allotted, illegally, to Carnoustie Management (India) Pvt Ltd (CMPL) by Chandras of Unitech Group. The ED investigation revealed that the Unitech Group diverted the proceeds of the crime, worth ₹347.95 crore, to Carnoustie Group which in turn purchased several immovable properties in India and abroad through its entities. The ED said that the total proceeds of crime in this case was ₹7638.43 crore.
The ED earlier this year carried out search operations on 41 locations in NCR and Mumbai on the premises of Shivalik Group, Trikar Group, Unitech Group and Carnoustie Group. After analysing the seized records along with disclosures of various persons, the ED unearthed the diversion and layering of the proceeds of the crime.
The Chandra brothers are accused of siphoning money from homebuyers. They are lodged in Taloja jail in Mumbai after the Supreme Court directed that they be transferred from Tihar. The ED earlier this year filed a criminal case under various sections of the PMLA against the Unitech group and its promoters alleging that the Chandras diverted over ₹2,000 crore to Cyprus and the Cayman Islands illegally.
