ED Takes Action in Rs 10.9 Crore Bank Fraud Case in Gujarat
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Ahmedabad, March 27 (NationPress) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated legal proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, regarding a suspected bank fraud case linked to Shree Om Fab and associated entities, as confirmed by officials on Friday.
The investigation commenced after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a First Information Report (FIR) based on a formal complaint from the Oriental Bank of Commerce.
A chargesheet was subsequently submitted by the CBI on December 16, 2019, outlining the results of its investigation.
The ED reported that Shree Om Fab, along with Shree Baba Textile and Shree Laxmi Fab—businesses owned by Ranjit Loonia—received credit facilities totaling Rs 9.95 crore, which swelled to about Rs 10.9 crore due to accrued interest as the accounts fell into default.
The agency accused Loonia of colluding with a panel valuer, Mayur Shah, and others to acquire loans by presenting “false and misleading business records” and “forged documentation”.
Additionally, the ED indicated that inflated valuation assessments of mortgaged assets were orchestrated to secure elevated credit limits.
Officials emphasized that the sanctioned cash credit limits were not utilized for legitimate business operations.
“The loan funds were redirected to various bank accounts without any authentic business transactions, withdrawn as cash, and used for purposes such as purchasing bullion and repaying housing loans,” the agency reported.
Throughout the investigation, searches at locations associated with the accused led to the recovery of valuables valued at approximately Rs 3.67 crore.
The ED also provisionally seized two immovable properties worth Rs 53.50 lakh at the time of attachment, with their current market valuation approximated at Rs 4.65 crore.
“The proceeds of crime have been identified, traced, and attached in accordance with the provisions of the PMLA,” the agency stated, adding that further investigations are ongoing.