The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday said it has attached assets worth over Rs 197 crore in connection with a money laundering case registered against real estate firm Unitech Group. A total of 10 properties, including two resorts in Sikkim (Gangtok) and Kerala (Alappuzha), as well as office premises and land registered in Sikkim and Kerala have been provisionally attached under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
"The registered value of these immovable properties is Rs 197.34 crore and these immovable properties are owned by the various entities of Carnoustie Group," the ED said.
"The Unitech Group had diverted proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 325 crore to Carnoustie Group and in turn, the entities of Carnoustie Group purchased several immovable properties from these funds," the ED claimed in a statement.
A few days ago, the agency had similarly attached assets worth Rs 152.48 crore of the Trikar Group (Kore Group). Till date, ED has attached assets worth Rs 349.82 crore in connection with the case.
A criminal case was registered under various sections of the PMLA against the Unitech Group and its promoters over allegations that the owners -- Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra -- illegally diverted over Rs 2,000 crore to Cyprus and Cayman Island.
Recently, the agency had also raided 35 premises in Delhi-NCR and Mumbai as part of a probe in the case. During these raids, the agency had searched premises of Carnoustie Group and seized records. Analysis of the seized documents, followed by various admissions, disclosed the investment of Unitech Group.
The PMLA case was registered by the agency after studying multiple FIRs filed by the Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) against the promoters and the company, including an instance where they allegedly failed to complete a housing project on time in Gurgaon.
(With PTI inputs)