The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday, 7 July arrested Rakesh Gupta, former Chief Financial Officer and President – Strategic Initiatives of Apollo Green Energy (formerly Apollo International), in a money laundering case linked to Inderjeet Singh, a UAE-based fugitive wanted by Haryana Police for fraud, cheating, illegal land grabbing, and violent offences. The arrest was made by the ED's Gurugram Zonal Office under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

Background: Who Is Inderjeet Singh

Inderjeet Singh, identified as the owner and key controller of Gem Records Entertainment — operating under the brand name Gems Tunes — is described by the ED as a known strongman with alleged involvement in criminal activities including murder, extortion, coercive loan settlements, fraud, and illegal land grabbing. He is currently absconding and reportedly operating from the UAE, where he is beyond the immediate reach of Indian law enforcement.

The ED's investigation was triggered by more than 15 FIRs registered and charge sheets filed by Haryana Police and Uttar Pradesh Police against Singh and his associates under the Arms Act, 1959, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Singh has also been named in connection with the alleged murder of a Dighal-based financier, and is reportedly absconding in that case as well.

How Rakesh Gupta Is Connected

According to the ED, Gupta was instrumental in introducing Inderjeet Singh to the Apollo Group and engaging his services — a connection that allegedly led to coercive settlements of high-value loan disputes and the alleged murder of one financier. The ED stated that Apollo Green Energy had borrowed more than ₹200 crore from private financiers based in Dighal, Jhajjar, issuing post-dated cheques as security, before subsequently defaulting on both principal and interest repayments.

Singh allegedly acted as an enforcer, facilitating coercive settlements of these disputes through threats, intimidation, and the use of armed associates and local gangs, with the involvement of organised crime syndicates reportedly operating from abroad, the agency said.

Arrest Circumstances and Court Custody

Gupta's arrest came after Inderjeet Singh failed to comply with four summons issued by the ED, following which the Special PMLA Court in Gurugram issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against him. Gupta was subsequently produced before the Special PMLA Court in Gurugram, which remanded him to ED custody for five days.

Seizures and Asset Attachments

The ED stated that earlier search operations in this case had resulted in the seizure of cash amounting to ₹6.41 crore, jewellery valued at ₹17.4 crore, and five luxury vehicles. Additionally, the agency has attached assets worth ₹90.04 crore and has already filed a charge sheet before the Special PMLA Court in Gurugram.

The case underscores a growing pattern of organised crime networks allegedly embedding themselves within legitimate corporate structures to facilitate coercive financial settlements — a trend that investigators say is increasingly being operated through overseas bases.