ED files chargesheet against IFS officer, her husband in money laundering case

Lucknow: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Lucknow zonal office has filed a prosecution complaint (PC), which is equivalent to a police chargesheet, against Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Niharika Singh, her husband Ajit Kumar Gupta, Anee Bullion and Industries Pvt Ltd, Anee Commodity Brokers Pvt Ltd, and Anee Securities Pvt Ltd under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, before the Special Court (PMLA), Lucknow.A 2006 batch officer, Niharika served as deputy chief of the Southern Africa Division, in Tokyo, and East Asian countries.The ED initiated an investigation based on 33 FIRs registered at various police stations in Uttar Pradesh under various IPC sections against Ajit Kumar Gupta (promoter/director of Anee Group of Companies) and various other persons.This was based on several complaints filed by investors in 2020 in respect of alleged offences of fraud and forgery committed by them. Subsequently, 25 charge-sheets in 12 FIRs were filed.The ED investigation revealed that the accused Ajit Kumar Gupta, in connivance with his other associates, collected huge sums of money from gullible investors by floating various fraudulent schemes through his proprietorship concern, Anee Bullion Trader, with a promise of exorbitant rates of return as high as 40% per annum, which they failed to return.Later, he started collecting money from investors through his close associates in the name of new return-linked investment schemes. The investments were never returned, and the innocent people were cheated to the tune of Rs 60 crore.The ED investigation further revealed that the proceeds of crime (POC) generated by Ajit Gupta by luring the gullible investors were further layered through various companies of the ‘Anee Group' and were used for the purchase of various immovable properties like houses and agricultural land in the name of Ajit Gupta, his IFS wife Niharika Singh, and others.During the investigation, assets worth Rs 9.10 crore in the form of immovable and movable properties were identified and provisionally attached.