Mumbai: In fresh trouble for industrialist Anil Ambani, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a money laundering case against him, Reliance Communications (RCom) and others over an alleged ₹2,929-crore bank fraud involving the State Bank of India (SBI).

Officials said the ED’s action follows a First Information Report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) last month. The CBI had named Ambani, RCom and others, including some government officials, accusing them of causing losses to SBI. It had also searched Ambani’s residence as well as RCom offices during its probe.

The SBI had classified RCom and Mr Ambani as “fraud” on June 13 and sent a report to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on June 24.

Reacting to the development, a spokesperson for Ambani said the complaint pertained to matters dating back more than a decade, when Ambani was a non-executive director and not involved in the company’s daily management. “SBI has already withdrawn proceedings against five other non-executive directors. Despite this, Mr Ambani has been selectively singled out,” the statement said.

The spokesperson added that Reliance Communications has, for the past six years, been under the supervision of a committee of creditors led by SBI and overseen by a resolution professional. “The matter remains sub judice before the NCLT and other judicial forums, including the Supreme Court. Mr Ambani has duly challenged SBI’s declaration before the competent judicial forum. He strongly denies all allegations and charges, and will duly defend himself,” the statement said.

With this latest ECIR, the ED’s ongoing investigations into Ambani and his group firms now cover four cases. Apart from the SBI matter, the agency is probing an alleged Rs 3,000-crore loan diversion linked to Yes Bank, involving suspected fund diversions by Reliance Group firms between 2017 and 2019. The probe has included raids at over 35 premises, searches at 50 companies, and questioning of at least 25 individuals.

The agency is also examining suspected loan diversions of more than Rs 17,000 crore by Reliance Infrastructure and other group entities, allegedly routed through inter-corporate deposits. Additionally, charges of fake bank guarantees worth Rs 68.2 crore tied to Reliance Power and Biswal Tradelink Pvt Ltd (BTPL) are part of the broader Rs 17,000-crore loan fraud inquiry.

Agency said that the SBI case involves misrepresentation to secure credit facilities, diversion of loan funds, inter-company transactions, misuse of invoice financing, discounting of bills, and creation of fictitious debtors. The accused face charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, and criminal breach of trust.

The ED action was triggered by a complaint received on August 18, 2025, from Jyoti Kumar, Deputy General Manager of SBI’s Mumbai branch, referencing a forensic audit report dated October 15, 2020, that identified irregularities in loan utilisation. Investigations are ongoing to determine whether diverted funds were laundered through shell companies or offshore channels.

In the SBI case, it is alleged that the accused, in criminal conspiracy, secured credit facilities from SBI for RCom, misused loan funds, engaged in inter-company transactions, misused sales invoice financing, discounted bills of RCom via Reliance Infratel Ltd., routed funds through inter-corporate deposits, and created/write-off fictitious debtors.

Mumbai: A massive fire erupted on Wednesday afternoon at a residential building in Goregaon (West), according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The blaze began in the common electric meter box area of a ground-plus-five (G+5) building located in the Shalimar Building, Siddhi Ganesh Society, situated on S.V. Road, Road No. 04, as reported by Midday.

The Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) received the alert at 12:18 pm and quickly declared a Level I fire at 12:25 pm. Multiple emergency teams, including personnel from the MFB, local police, BMC ward staff, Public Works Department (PWD), 108 ambulance services, and Adani Electricity, were mobilised to the scene.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Residents were safely evacuated as a precautionary measure, and the fire was swiftly brought under control.

Initial reports suggest that the fire originated from the building’s common meter box, although an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause.

More details are awaited

Mumbai: Several cars travelling late Tuesday night on the Samruddhi Expressway from Nagpur to Mumbai were forced to stop suddenly after their tyres were punctured due to rows of sharp nails hammered into the road surface on a bridge.

A video that has surfaced on the internet shows scenes from the expressway where nails can be seen fixed in rows on the bridge. The video, shot at night, shows slow traffic moving from a lane beside, where the nails are fixed.

At first, commuters suspected foul play, fearing that miscreants had planted the nails as part of a robbery attempt. However, later, checks revealed that the nails had actually been fixed by a road construction company working on repairs in the area.

According to reports, several motorists questioned why there was no barricading or warning signage if repair activity was underway. They also demanded answers as to why the nails were placed hurriedly at night, instead of during the day, when the problem could have been addressed transparently without causing distress to commuters. The situation could have been far worse, with many pointing out that punctured tyres at high speed on the expressway could have led to major accidents or fatalities.

The Samruddhi Expressway, often described as Maharashtra’s ‘corridor of prosperity,’ has repeatedly faced criticism for recurring accidents and lapses in planning since its inauguration. Authorities are expected to launch an investigation into the incident and announce corrective measures in the coming days.

In a separate infrastructure update for Mumbai, the state government approved the relocation of Dahisar Toll Plaza, which has long been a source of traffic congestion and pollution. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde recently chaired a meeting where he directed the MSRDC to shift the toll plaza near the nurseries in front of Versova Bridge.

The relocation is scheduled to be completed before Diwali, with officials instructed to fast-track the process. Once moved, the decision is expected to provide major relief for daily commuters on the Dahisar–Mira-Bhayander–Andheri corridor, where snarls have been a persistent complaint.