‘I am Muneera’: Nowhera Shaik tried to bluff ED for an hour

Hyderabad: Tracking Nowhera Shaik, the accused in the over ₹3,000 crore Heera Gold scam, was a not an easy task as she was hiding under a fake identity using forged documents after evading arrest, Enforcement Directorate officials said.When ED sleuths finally traced her to a rented residential property in Gurugram, she allegedly tried to bluff them for nearly an hour. "I am Muneera, not Nowhera," she reportedly insisted, despite officials identifying her.Nowhera, who was brought to Hyderabad after her arrest, was shifted to Chanchalguda jail on Friday.Guards tried to stop officials in HydED sleuths initially searched her house at Road No. 12, Banjara Hills, where the guards allegedly refused to allow them inside. Officials later entered the premises with the help of security personnel. Based on information gathered during the search, ED teams went to Bengaluru, but she allegedly escaped just before they reached there.“She was continuously on the move since the Supreme Court verdict,” an ED official said.ED officials later gained intelligence inputs that Nowhera was hiding in Gurugram, Haryana, under a fake identity. Along with Haryana Police, they conducted a joint operation and apprehended her on May 21 in compliance with the warrant of arrest issued by the Special Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.She was brought to Hyderabad immediately and produced before the PMLA court late on May 21. The court remanded her to judicial custody.SC bail cancellation led to NBWTelangana Police and Andhra Pradesh Police had registered multiple FIRs against Nowhera Shaik, and other accused Molly Thomas, Biju Thomas, and Heera Group of companies after complaints from depositors across the country. ED said 1,72,114 investors were allegedly defrauded of more than ₹3,000 crore.According to ED, deposits were collected by Nowhera Shaik from investors across India on the pretext of investment in Heera Group of companies, with an offer of huge returns of 36% per annum. The agency said the investors were later not paid their profits or principal amounts.