ED attaches Irfan and three actors’ assets in Sandesara case
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday attached assets of late Congress leader Ahmed Patel‘s son-in-law Irfan Siddiqi, actors Dino Morea and Sanjay Khan and DJ Aqeel in a money laundering case involving Gujarat-based pharmaceutical company Sandesara Sterling Biotech group. It is well known that Sandesara Group from Gujarat is a politically exposed company blessed by the late Ahmed Patel. Sandesara family are already fugitives and are living abroad and the ED has already attached their Rs.9800 crore-worth assets aboard including oil rigs in Nigeria, aircraft registered in the USA and properties in London in June 2019.[1]
On Friday the ED attached Irfan and three actors’ assets worth Rs.8.79 crore. These people are named in the infamous Sandesara diary which has to date exposed many Gujarat and Mumbai-based IAS, IRS and IPS officers for accepting monthly fees or retainer fees or hafta from Sandesara Group. PGurus in September 2017 first reported the role of Ahmed Patel’s son-in-law Irfan in the Sandesara payouts and the money trails. Irfan’s name first surfaced in the CBI FIR where three Income Tax Commissioners were named as the accused and charge-sheeted.[2]
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said that Nitin Sandesara and Chetan Sandesara, absconding promoters of the Sterling Biotech group, have “diverted” proceeds of crime to the four people.
Later Ahmed Patel’s son Faizal Patel’s role was exposed in this case and many hawala operators confessed to the agencies of transporting money to Ahmed Patel’s official residence in Delhi. In June 2020, Ahmed Patel himself was questioned by the ED[3]. Police officer Rakesh Asthana’s name was also found in Sandesara Diaries. Then CBI Director Alok Verma and then Additional Director Rakesh Asthana’s tussle started on this Sandesara case[4].
The ED on Friday said that a provisional order was issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach the assets of the four people which are worth Rs.8.79 crore. Out of this, the value of attachment of assets for Khan is Rs.3 crore, for Dino Morea, it is Rs.1.4 crore, for Aqeel Abdulkhalil Bachooali, popularly known as DJ Aqeel, it is Rs.1.98 crore and for Irfan Ahmed Siddiqui, who is Patel’s son-in-law, it is Rs.2.41 crore, said ED in a statement.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said that Nitin Sandesara and Chetan Sandesara, absconding promoters of the Sterling Biotech group, have “diverted” proceeds of crime to the four people. The promoter brothers Nitin Sandesara, Chetan Sandesara, Chetan’s wife Dipti Sandesara and Hitesh Patel have been declared fugitive economic offenders by a special court, it said. The money-laundering case pertains to Rs.14,500-crore bank-loan fraud said to have been perpetrated by Sterling Biotech and its main promoters and directors.
References:
[1] ED attaches overseas assets worth Rs.9800 cr of Ahmed Patel linked Sterling Biotech – Sandesara group – Jun 26, 2019, PGurus.com
[2] CBI FIR names son-in-law of Ahmed Patel (Irfan) of bribing Income Tax officials – Sep 25, 2017, PGurus.com
[3] Sandesara group money laundering” At last, after three years, Enforcement Directorate reaches Kingpin Ahmed Patel’s home – Jun 27, 2020, PGurus.com
[4] Inside story of Alok Verma vs Rakesh Asthana fight in CBI – Oct 23, 2018, India Today
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