Anee Bullion fraud case: ED attaches properties worth Rs 2.03 crore of IFS officer in UP

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 20 : The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has provisionally attached properties in the form of bank balances, FDs and agriculture land situated at Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, worth Rs 2.03 crore, belonging to Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Neeharika Singh under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in the case of Anee Bullion Industries (ABI) fraud on Wednesday.
Neeharika Singh is the wife of Ajeet Gupta, the mastermind of the scam.
"ED initiated an investigation in 2019 on the basis of various FIRs and complaints registered by UP Police against Ajit Kumar Gupta and various other persons/entities, for committing cheating and fraud worth Rs 110 crore with the public by luring them to invest in various fraudulent schemes with the intention of defrauding them of their investments," the agency said in a statement.
An ED investigation revealed that Anee Bullion Industries Pvt Ltd, Ajit Kumar Gupta and others have fraudulently collected money from the public under the guise of Daily Deposit Scheme, Monthly Recurring Scheme, Fixed Scheme, etc., by offering high returns varying from 20 to 40 per cent on these schemes. Investors' money, thus collected, was layered and rotated through the platforms of various companies of 'Anee Group' and was used for the purchase of various immovable properties in the name of Ajit Gupta and others.
"Earlier, ED had attached 20 immovable properties in the form of lands/buildings of the Anee group of companies situated at Lucknow, Amethi and Delhi, together valued at Rs 7.07 crore. This is the second PAO in this case and the total value of the attached properties stands at Rs. 9.10 crore," the ED said.
Further investigation is in progress, it added.