NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a First Information Report (FIR) with the Delhi Police against eleven individuals, including three main conspirators, who allegedly extorted money from people under investigation for money laundering. The syndicate claimed they had connections with top ED officials and could provide relief to those accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The New Delhi District Police is investigating the case, but no official comment was available at the time of reporting.
The three primary accused, identified as Manoj Kumar alias Bobby, Rajiv Arora, and Karamveer, reportedly demanded Rs 30 lakh from Jaspreet Singh Bagga, who is currently facing a PMLA probe, in exchange for assistance in his case.
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Highly placed sources revealed that the accused were attempting to secure work from major companies such as Jindal Steels, ATS Developers, Unitech, and Reliance Group. The investigation is ongoing to determine whether any actual liaison work was obtained from these firms. “There are around eleven individuals involved. They also accepted bribes for the transfer and posting of IAS and IPS officials. This is a significant discovery in our investigation,” said a source.
ED Case Details: In the PMLA investigation, the ED filed a case against Birfa IT Service Private Limited. Three individuals, Mandeep Mago, Jaspreet Singh Bagga, and Sandeep Sethi, were questioned about this matter.
Bagga was placed under surveillance by senior ED officials, who discovered that he had been approached by Bobby, who offered to remove his name from the PMLA case in exchange for money. Bobby claimed to have a close rapport with top ED officials, including the ED director.
On one occasion, after an ED interrogation, Bobby took Bagga to a five-star hotel in the Lutyens Zone near Parliament, where he demanded Rs 30 lakh. Bagga paid a portion of this amount in subsequent meetings.
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The ED’s Trap: Upon learning of these claims, the ED launched a thorough investigation and discovered that Bobby was a serial fraudster. Bobby was summoned, and his statement was recorded. A search of his residence, conducted with a warrant, revealed three to five FIRs registered against him in various states.
Police FIR: Following their investigation, the ED lodged an FIR with the New Delhi District Police. The New Delhi District Police, under the supervision of the DCP, is now actively investigating the case.