New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it’s attached a London hotel worth ₹ 58.61 crore in reference to a concealment probe against realty firm Unitech Group and its promoters Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra.
The hotel, named Bed and Breakfast, is owned by a corporation called Ibournshorne Limited, a UK-based associate firm of the Carnoustie group.
A provisional order under the Prevention of cash Laundering Act (PMLA) has been issued by the ED to connect the property. The case is predicated on variety of Delhi Police economic offences wing (EOW) FIRs filed by homebuyers against the Unitech Group and its promoters.
The agency claimed during a statement issued here that “tainted funds of ₹ 325 crore belonging to homebuyers were diverted to Carnoustie group”.
“Out of this, ₹ 41.3 crore was diverted to UK after substantial layering through Carnoustie Group, India and thru Indesign Enterprises Pvt Ltd, Cyprus.”
These funds, it alleged, were “used for purchasing the shares of Ibounshorne Limited, UK within the name of Carnoustie Management India Pvt Limited, an entity belonging to Carnoustie group”.
For attaching an asset based out of India, the ED approaches its counterpart within the respective country under established international concealment and other financial crimes cooperation protocols and freezes its sale and transfer.
The ED filed a criminal case under various sections of the PMLA early this year against the Unitech Group and its promoters over allegations that the owners — Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra — illegally diverted over ₹ 2,000 crore to Cyprus and therefore the Cayman Islands .
“Total proceeds of crime during this case is ₹ 5,063.05 crore as determined till now,” the agency had said earlier. The agency also administered raids within the case on March 4 at 35 locations of the Shivalik Group, Trikar Group, Unitech Group and Carnoustie Group in Mumbai and therefore the capital region (NCR).
“After analysis of the seized records followed by the disclosures of varied persons, the above diversion of proceeds of crime has been unearthed,” it had alleged.
The total attachment during this case now stands at ₹ 595.61 crore as three similar orders are issued earlier.
