ED attaches Ahmed Patel kin’s assets

NEW DELHI: In another step in the money laudering probe against Nitin and Chetan Sandesara, fugitive promoters of the Gujarat-based Sandesara group, the Enforcement Directorate on Friday attached assets worth around Rs 9 crore belonging to Irfan Siddiqui, son-in-law of late Congress leader Ahmed Patel, Bollywood stars Dino Morea and Sanjay Khan, and DJ Aqeel.
“Investigation revealed Sandesaras have diverted proceeds of crime of Rs 3 crore, Rs 1.4 crore, Rs 12.5 crore and Rs 3.5 crore to Sanjay Khan, Dino Morea, Aqeel Bachooali and Irfan Ahmed Siddiqui, respectively,” the directorate claimed. With this, the value of total attachments in the case has reached Rs 14,522 crore. The agency has estimated the value of ‘proceeds of crime’ at Rs 16,000 crore.
The Sandesara brothers, wanted for siphoning off Rs 16,000 crore of government banks, fled to Nigeria with their family in 2017. The siblings, who have since been declared ‘fugitive economic offenders’ with non-bailable warrants and have two red corner notices issued by Interpol pending against them, have been shuttling beteen countries which they consider to be outside the grasp of India’s agencies. Interpol has also issued red corner notices against two family members of Sandesaras .
Before his death, Patel himself was questioned multiple times in connection with financial dealings he, his son Faisal and son-in-law Irfan had with Sandesara brothers. “Eight properties, three vehicles and several bank accounts having total value of Rs 8.8 crore have been attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in a case against the Sandesara group,” the ED said.
The agency has so far filed a prosecution complaint (chargesheet) and four supplementary chargesheets in the case and arrested four persons. Nitin Sandesara, Chetan Sandesara, Dipti Chetan Sandesara and Hitesh Patel have been declared fugitives by a special PMLA court.