Mumbai: Purushottam Chavan, booked for money laundering, had sent two of the constables deputed for his IPS wife Rashmi Karandikar to collect bags allegedly containing cash and documents from businessman Rajesh Batreja between August 2023 to February 2024. Batreja on the other hand has admitted to have given Rs 10.40 crores, part of proceeds of crime to Chavan in installments.
The Enforcement Directorate has recently filed a supplementary prosecution complaint in connection with Rs 263 crore Income Tax TDS refund fraud case. The supplementary complainant is filed against Chavan, Batreja, tax consultant Anirudh Gandhi; M/s AG Enterprises ; M/s Universal Marketing and Advisory Services LLP (UMAS) and Dwalax Enterprises pvt Ltd.
The special PMLA judge AC Daga took cognisance of ED's complaint and said, "The complaint goes to show that the accused persons are directly involved in the commission of crime and had helped other accused persons in siphoning of the proceeds of crime from India to Dubai and from Dubai to India through Hawala Channel."
It is alleged that former Income-Tax (I-T) officer, Tanaji Mandal Adhikari. Adhikari allegedly generated fake TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) refunds to the tune of Rs 263 crore when he was posted in I-T’s Mumbai office. Chavan and Batreja's role surfaced during ED's further probe to trace the proceeds of crime. It was claimed that Adhikari had transferred the proceeds of crime to Dubai and parked it with one Sheikh Mohammad Ibrahim Abdulaziz Almualla.
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ED has in its complaint claimed that "Chavan is closely associated in dealing with proceeds of crime (POC) generated by Adhikari and others. Till now his direct association in dealing and receiving proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 11 crores with Batreja, another accused Nayeem Subedar and others have been established."
The agency had also recorded statement of Batreja who admitted that he has given amount of Rs 10.40 crores to Chavan during the period from August 2023 to February 2024 in many installment. ED claimed that Batreja had stated that the numbers of the currency notes were exchanged for delivery of cash to the persons sent by Chavan.
Also he had shared pic of Shinde while he took the trolley bags containing cash and sent it to Chavan to confirm money was given to Chavan's man. He had further claimed that his partner Lancy D'Souza arranged the funds in India from Dubai through his business network and associates.
ED thereafter recorded statements of Kartik Bhalchandra Shinde and Tanaji Bhoir on May 25, who were posted at the official residence of Karandikar.
Shinde in his statement said that, Batreja visited Karandikar's house to meet Chavan multiple times between August, 2023 to March, 2024. He said that, Chavan had shared Batreja's number with him and had asked him to collect things from Batreja. Shinde said that he had collected 01 carton box, 02 trolley bags and 1 red colour backpack on 03 difference instances from Batreja on the instruction of Chavan. Meanwhile, Bhoir said, he had once collected some documents and a pen drive on instructions of Chavan from Batreja from Mulund Railway Station.
ED claimed that During the period from August 2023 to November 2023, Batreja and Purushottam have dealt with POC of Rs. around 11 crore. Batreja allegedly brought back the said POC from Dubai through hawala channel and his partners in Dubai helped in arranging the said funds in India.
While it claimed that Chavan is using International SIM cards of United Kingdom and UAE and has been frequently visiting various countries during the period of commission of offence and thereafter. "Batreja and Chavan were arranging further investments for M/s Ventugrow Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and M/s Clensta International Pvt. Ltd. and Chavan also incorporated new company in Dubai with the help of Nayeem Subedar of Dubai in December 2023. Further, Chavan also withdrew AED 50,000 from the Overseas bank account of Batreja," ED claimed.
Chavan meanwhile in his statement has claimed that he met Batreja through his friend Subedar in August 2021. Chavan denied to have received Rs 10.40 crores from Batreja. In his statement to ED, Chavan said Batreja had only given him Rs 1.5 Cr for business purposes in cash in two tranches of Rs 50 lacs each through hawala and rest Rs 50 lacwas given to him directly. He further said that the said Rs. 1.5 crore was utilized for starting medicine business in the name of M/s RPN Medical and Surgical LLC by procuring medicines from India and exporting them to Middle Eastern countries."
Chavan also denied that he withdrew money from Batreja's Dubai account and said he had given the money to Batreja when he returned to India.
ED however, claimed that RPN was incorporated on December 11, 2023 in Dubai. "On being confronted, Chavan stated that he himself incorporated the said firm for trading of medical equipments and products, whereas according to Batreja, name of the company RPN denotes R - Rajesh, P - Purushottam and N - Nayeem. Rajesh further stated that though the company was registered in Chavan's name but he and Subedar are helping Chavan in starting trading business in the said company," ED claimed.
ED claimed that Chavan played a role in facilitating concealment of remaining untraced PoC. "After having idea that the POC lying in Dubai could be traced they started siphoning them in such a manner that the same remain untraced for their future use. Chavan in connivance with Batreja and other persons was also trying to find new avenues for further layering and POC as untainted, so that POC remained concealed for further enjoyment of Adhikari and other accused persons," reads ED's complaint.
