Close X
Monday, November 11, 2024
ADVT 
India

Mumbai's 'fugitive scam couple': Police freeze more bank accounts, properties

Darpan News Desk IANS, 11 Sep, 2023 11:20 AM
  • Mumbai's 'fugitive scam couple': Police freeze more bank accounts, properties

Mumbai, Sep 11 (IANS) Moving ahead in the investigations, the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has frozen another 11 banks accounts and five prime properties purportedly owned by absconding scamster couple Ashesh Mehta and his wife Shivangi Lad-Mehta, officials said on Monday.

The five residential properties, worth an estimated Rs 16 crore, are in Kandivali, Goregaon, and Santacruz, while 11 bank accounts of the Mehta couple and their companies have also been frozen.

"The Mumbai Police EOW has taken prompt cognisance of my complaints and so far they have frozen around Rs 175 crores siphoned off by the Mehta couple by cheating over 4,000 investors all over India and then disappearing," ruling Shiv Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde said.

Official sources said that the EOW has also started questioning the relatives, friends, business associates and others in the entire scam and attempt to trace out the missing couple, now off radar for nearly four months.

Hegde urged the Mumbai Police to now expedite the necessary legal formalities to liquidate the properties and release the monies lying in these frozen bank accounts that can be disbursed among the needy investors who were gypped of their hard-earned cash.

Last month, the Mumbai Police cracked the whip on the Mehtas after Hegde demanded a probe into a staggering withdrawal-transfers of some Rs 180 crore to various associates or entities of the scamster couple.

IANS had highlighted the matter in June-July after it came to the fore when the Madhya Pradesh Police were probing a drug case which was linked to the Mehta couple. Besides a NDPS case in MP, the couple is accused of money-laundering, running illegal ponzi schemes, cheating gullible investors and other frauds totally estimated at over Rs 1,000 crore, before decamping.

The MP and Maharashtra Police have probed the homes and offices of the Mehtas in Mumbai in the past few months, but they have not been able to trace the couple.

After getting many grievances from the people, Hegde moved Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in July who directed the issue of a Look Out Circular for the couple and the Mumbai’ Special Police Commissioner Deven Bharti and Joint Commissioner Nishith Mishra to intensify the probe.

MORE India ARTICLES

'mPassport Police App' to fast track passport verification process

'mPassport Police App' to fast track passport verification process
The move will not only streamline the passport verification process but will also help for timely updation and issuance of the passports as all verifications will take five days now. The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday announced that it has introduced an 'mPassport Police App' to further streamline and expedite the passport issuance system.

'mPassport Police App' to fast track passport verification process

Punjab Intelligence HQ attack: NIA declares Rs 15 lakh reward for Canada-based terrorist

Punjab Intelligence HQ attack: NIA declares Rs 15 lakh reward for Canada-based terrorist
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday declared a cash reward of Rs 15 lakh on the head of Canada-based terrorist Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa, a prime accused in connection with the rocket launcher attack on Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali in May last year.

Punjab Intelligence HQ attack: NIA declares Rs 15 lakh reward for Canada-based terrorist

Man held at IGI with gold worth Rs 90 L

Man held at IGI with gold worth Rs 90 L
The personal search of the passenger resulted in recovery of two strips wrapped with white adhesive tape containing brown coloured paste in a transparent packing. He was hiding it in his underwear. After the extraction procedure four uneven rectangular shaped gold pieces collectively weighing 1760 grams worth Rs 90,29,680 were recovered. 

Man held at IGI with gold worth Rs 90 L

Punjab mulling adopting Telangana model for groundwater conservation: Mann

Punjab mulling adopting Telangana model for groundwater conservation: Mann
The Telangana government has constructed small dams in villages for conserving the groundwater across the state, and he said as a result of this, the groundwater level has increased up to two metres in the villages.

Punjab mulling adopting Telangana model for groundwater conservation: Mann

Mann reviews preparations for Invest Punjab Summit on Feb 23-24

Mann reviews preparations for Invest Punjab Summit on Feb 23-24
The Chief Minister envisioned that the summit will go a long way in ensuring holistic industrial development of the state to propel it into the orbit of high growth trajectory. He asked Invest Punjab to make optimum use of this healthy platform to project Punjab as the preferred investment destination among the domestic and global investors.

Mann reviews preparations for Invest Punjab Summit on Feb 23-24

Why is Kejriwal allowed to run Punjab's affairs, Sukhbir asks CM

Why is Kejriwal allowed to run Punjab's affairs, Sukhbir asks CM
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal on Wednesday said it was condemnable that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was asserting that the Governor could not ask him any questions because he was "selected" and not "elected", but was allowing AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal to run the affairs of Punjab.

Why is Kejriwal allowed to run Punjab's affairs, Sukhbir asks CM