New Delhi/Kolkata: Enforcement Directorate Saturday seized more than Rs 17 crore in cash from three premises of a businessman in Kolkata whose son is alleged to have defrauded people through a Chinese gaming application.
The residences in the city's Park Street, Mominpur and Garden Reach areas belong to Nesar Ahmed Khan, the father of the accused gaming application operator Aamir Khan. At the time of filing this report, the money was being counted by the agency.
The lion's share of the seizure was carried out at Khan's residence in Garden Reach, where stacks of cash were found inside a suitcase. A photograph released by the agency showed bundles of seized Rs 500 currency notes along with a few in the denomination of Rs 2,000 and Rs 200 stacked together on a bed. Earlier in the day, the ED said it had seized around Rs 7 crore in cash and that the counting was on.
Senior Trinamool Congress minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim said the raid had no connection with politics and the TMC has nothing to do with the businessman concerned. He, however, wondered if the ED's investigations into money laundering cases are restricted to states ruled by non-BJP parties like West Bengal.
Also read: ED launches fresh raids in Delhi in Excise Policy case
"If Rs 7 crore has been unearthed, the source of that money should certainly be investigated. But what about Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi who had swindled more than Rs 7000 crore? Why did their wrongdoing not come to light before they left (India)? There are businessmen in BJP-ruled states and they might also have amassed large amounts of money," Hakim said.
He said that the raids were "selectively directed against businessmen of non-BJP ruled states like Bengal." "It is for dissuading investors from coming to Bengal in the fear of harassment by central agencies," the senior TMC leader added. Reacting to Hakim's comments, BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya claimed that such statements come from fear as people are "aware of the unholy nexus between money launderers and the TMC".
"The ED raid is not directed against the business community in general. It is only against unscrupulous businessmen. Does the former state transport minister has anything to hide?" Bhattacharya added. The money laundering case stems from an FIR filed by the Kolkata Police against the company and its promoters in February 2021. This FIR was registered at the Park Street Police Station based on a complaint filed by the Federal Bank authorities before a court in Kolkata, the ED said.
Aamir Khan launched the mobile gaming application E-Nuggets which was designed to defraud the public, the agency alleged. "During the initial period, the users were rewarded with a commission and the balance in the wallet could be withdrawn hassle-free. "This provided initial confidence among users, and they started investing bigger amounts for a greater percentage of commission and a greater number of purchase orders," it said. (Agency inputs)
