Enforcement Directorate Seizes Properties Worth Rs 29 Lakh in Extortion Investigation

Click to start listening
Enforcement Directorate Seizes Properties Worth Rs 29 Lakh in Extortion Investigation

Synopsis

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached properties worth Rs 29 lakh in an extortion case linked to Raviraj Kumar and Vijay Kishan Chaudhary, including multiple immovable properties and a bank account. The ED is actively investigating the case, which involves fraud and impersonation.

Key Takeaways

  • ED attached properties worth Rs 29 lakh.
  • Involved Raviraj Kumar and Kumari Pinki.
  • Investigation initiated from an FIR in Gurugram.
  • Accused impersonated an ED officer.
  • Ongoing investigations and prior arrests.

Gurugram, March 28 (NationPress) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) from the Gurugram Zonal Office has provisionally seized Proceeds of Crime (POC) amounting to Rs 29 lakh, which encompasses six immovable assets owned by Raviraj Kumar and his spouse Kumari Pinki located in Nalanda, Bihar, alongside one fixed deposit bank account owned by Vijay Kishan Chaudhary, as reported by officials on Friday.

The ED commenced its probe based on an FIR lodged by the Sector-10 Police Station in Gurugram, targeting Raviraj Kumar and several unidentified individuals under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. The investigation unveiled that Raviraj Kumar, in collusion with Vijay Kishan Chaudhary, extorted funds from a builder based in Gurugram by threatening him with severe repercussions while impersonating a senior officer of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Throughout the investigation, the ED gathered testimonies from various individuals and compiled an array of digital and documentary evidence, including bank statements and WhatsApp conversations. It was discovered that the accused Raviraj utilized multiple SIM cards to conceal his true identity and deceived numerous victims.

In connection with this case, the ED previously apprehended Raviraj Kumar, a fraudster, under the PMLA Act for deceitful practices, fraud, and impersonation as a senior ED officer. The accused is presently incarcerated in Bhondsi Jail, Gurugram. The investigation is ongoing.

Previously, the ED Gurugram Zonal Office had also seized assets valued at Rs 44.55 crore, attributed to Dharam Singh Chhoker, a former MLA, along with his two sons Sikandar Chhoker and Vikas Chhoker, and their enterprises such as M/s Sai Aaina Farms Pvt Ltd, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in a case involving the cheating of over 1500 homebuyers and the misappropriation of more than Rs 500 crore on Thursday. The seized assets comprise 13 immovable properties, including approximately 3 acres of agricultural land, 2487 square meters of commercial land, and 8 residential flats, situated in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, and Panipat.

In a similar context, the ED Gurugram Zonal Office on Thursday also confiscated movable assets worth Rs 34.47 lakh, including equity shares and account balances belonging to Anshul Madaan and his family members, which were directly acquired by Anshul Madaan, a suspended sub postmaster at the Department of Posts, as a consequence of the fraud he perpetrated. The ED initiated the investigation based on an FIR lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), ACB Chandigarh, against Anshul Madaan and others. The accused committed fraud by siphoning and misdirecting funds, engaging in criminal misappropriation, and causing wrongful loss of Rs 5.84 crore to the Department of Posts.