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ED arrests PCH director Balvinder Singh for Rs 370 Cr bank fraud

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Balvinder Singh the Promoter – Director of the PCH Corporation Ltd and other PCH group companies under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a case relating to defrauding banks to the tune of Rs 370 crore.

Balvinder Singh was arrested on Tuesday. He was produced before a Special Court in Hyderabad on Wednesday, which remanded him to judicial custody till February 23.

Earlier the CBI in Chennai had lodged a case against him and others under various sections of the IPC. The federal probe agency had also submitted a charge sheet in this connection before a Special Court. The ED also initiated a money laundering probe on the basis of the CBI’s FIR and charge sheet.

In the CBI charge sheet it had been alleged that PCH Agencies Pvt Ltd, PCH Lifestyle Pvt Ltd, and Balvinder Singh and others had caused wrongful loss to Punjab and Sind Bank, George Town branch, Chennai, by fraudulently availing credit facilities by submitting fabricated documents to show higher turnover.

The accused after availing the loan diverted it to other entities. “Subsequently, two more FIRs were registered by the CBI, BS&FB, Bengaluru and CBI Chennai against the PCH Group companies,” said an ED official.

The ED has learnt in its investigation that the PCH group companies had availed loans from various public sector and private banks and failed to repay the said loans.

The amounts received as loan was diverted through shell companies with the help of Chartered Accounts (CAs) and Entry-operators in Hyderabad and Mumbai and the amount received in the PCH group companies for the purpose of showing a false rosy picture about the financial health of PCH Group, for the purpose of availing more loans and also for the purpose of an intended IPO.

Part of these diverted amounts was also received in the personal account of Balvinder Singh and his family members and relatives.

“Investigation conducted so far has revealed that Balvinder Singh had received amounts totaling to Rs 53.97 crore from various shell entities which had no genuine business activity, but were used only for the purpose of rotation of the funds and these amounts were projected by Balvinder Singh as ‘unsecured’ loans,” said the ED official.

The ED said that the source of these funds was nothing but the siphoned off loan. This amount was utilised by the accused to purchase properties in the names of his companies as well as in personal names which were later mortgaged to the banks for availing more credit facilities. These unsecured loans have not been repaid till date.

The ED official said that further investigation in the matter was on.

Crime

Mira-Bhayandar: Police Busts Illicit Liquor Brewing Den In Nallasopara

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Mira Bhayandar: Further tightening their screws against illicit liquor mafia ahead of the assembly elections scheduled to be held on 20, November, the Mira Road-based central crime branch unit attached to the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai (MBVV) police busted yet another massive illicit liquor brewing unit which was operating from a hillock in a dense jungle area in Nallasopara on Thursday.

Acting on a tip-off, a team led by assistant police inspector- Dattatray Sarak marched 2-kilometre-deep inside the jungle area located in the Dhaniv Baug area of Nallasopara (east) at around 8 am.

The team seized multiple barrels of hooch along with ingredients including 2,800 litres of fermented jaggery wash, 140 litres of liquor, chemicals and other manufacturing equipment collectively worth more than Rs. 1.42 lakh.

However, the den operator identified as- Prabhakar Bhoye and his employees managed to evade the police dragnet. The entire material and equipment were destroyed on the spot.

An offence under the relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act-1949 for construction/works of any distillery or brewery and manufacturing intoxicants has been registered in this context at the Pelhar police station.

The consumption of illicit liquor which is unscientifically manufactured by using toxic chemicals like methanol and rectified spirit can cause deaths and other serious ailments including loss of eyesight. Further investigations were underway.

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Crime

Wildlife Smuggling Racket Busted: Rare Snakes, Reptiles, Caged Orangutan Rescued From Dombivli House

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Thane: In a significant operation exposing a wildlife smuggling racket, the Forest Officials rescued rare species of animals from a highrise in Dombivli. The officials raided an apartment in Palava City, Dombivli and found exotic animals including lizard, turtles, rare species snakes and other reptiles stored in the flat. Horrifying enough, the team found a monkey caged in the washroom of the apartment.

It was later confirmed that the rescued animals included Ignuana (lizard), an Orangutan and python. The operation was conducted by the Forest Range Officers from Thane and Kalyan along with a team from Manpada Police Station after a tip.

The officials did not find any accused present in the apartment at the time of the raid. A case under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 has been registered and a search for the accused is underway. Meanwhile, the seized species are handed over to a local NGO on a temporary basis for observation.

The video of the forest officials raid surfaced on the internet shows a boy opening the door of the well-kept apartment. After entering the flat, the officials gradually come across wildlife species stores in small cage, plastic boxes piled up in the passage and shocking enough an Orangutan in washroom at the end of the apartment.

As per the statement issued by the police, the teams raided the 8th floor apartment in B wing of Savarna Building in Palava City, Dombivli. In the action, the exotic animals seized as prima facie identified as python, ignuana (lizard), turtle, snake etc. The seized wildlife species, on temporary basis, are handed over to Birsa Munda- a local NGO. The pachanama, documentation and search for the accused is underway, it added.

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Crime

Mumbai: Unidentified Body Of Man Chopped Into 7 Pieces Stuffed In Plastic Boxes Found Near Gorai Beach; Probe On

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Mumbai: The dismembered body of a man, estimated to be between 25 and 40 years old, was discovered in several plastic boxes on the side road which goes to Gorai Beach in Mumbai on Sunday.

Upon receiving the information, police arrived at the scene and took the body into custody. It was later sent for a post-mortem examination. The body has not yet been identified, and a case has been registered.

According to police, on Sunday, a male body was found near Picxy Hotel, Babar Pada, Gorai, Borivali West. The body was cut into seven parts and packed in four plastic boxes. The deceased, believed to be between 25 and 40 years old, was wearing dark blue jeans and black shoes. His right hand bore tattoos.

A resident named Santosh Shinde, 55, from Mira Road, informed the Gorai police after learning about the incident. The Gorai police recovered the body from Shefali village in the Babarpada area.

A forensic team is currently investigating the case, and inquiries are ongoing in the vicinity of the incident location. Police have stated that the recovered body remains unidentified. The Gorai police have registered a case, and further investigation is underway.

A special team has been formed to investigate, and information is being gathered from CCTV footage and nearby police stations to assist in identifying the body.

A police officer said that the body was sent to Bhagwati Hospital for a post-mortem. “We can’t conclude anything immediately, as we are still investigating the matter,” the officer said.

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