New Delhi, Oct 31: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached shares worth Rs 127.3 crore linked to two hospitals – Alchemist Hospital and Ojas Hospital in Panchkula – as part of an ongoing money laundering probe involving the Alchemist Group, the agency said on Friday.

The properties are beneficially owned by businessman Karan Deep Singh. The order was issued by the ED’s Delhi Zonal Office under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, on October 30, 2025.

The action is connected to a probe into alleged large-scale financial fraud and misappropriation of public funds by the group’s promoters and associated companies.

The ED initiated its investigation based on an FIR registered by Kolkata Police, which was later taken up by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), ACB Lucknow, under Sections 120-B and 420 of the IPC against Alchemist Township Pvt. Ltd., Alchemist Infra Realty Pvt. Ltd., their directors, and former Rajya Sabha MP and group chairman Kanwar Deep Singh.

“The case pertains to a large-scale criminal conspiracy to defraud investors by illegally raising funds through fraudulent Collective Investment Schemes (CIS), offering unusually high returns, and/ or making false promises of allotting plots, flats, and villas,” ED said in its press note.

The agency claims that Alchemist Holdings Ltd. and Alchemist Township India Ltd. raised approximately Rs 1,848 crore through these schemes, siphoning the money for unauthorised use.

“ED investigation revealed that the misappropriated funds were systematically layered through complex financial transactions involving group entities of the Alchemist Group, with the intent to conceal the illicit origin of the funds,” the agency said.

“These tainted proceeds were ultimately used for the acquisition of shares and the subsequent construction of Alchemist Hospital and Ojas Hospital. The transactions were deliberately structured to project these assets as legitimate, thereby disguising the Proceeds of Crime (POC),” it further added.

According to the ED, the shares of Alchemist Hospital and Ojas Hospital are held to the extent of 40.93 per cent and 37.23 per cent, respectively, by M/s Placid Estate Pvt. Ltd., a company beneficially owned by Kanwar Deep Singh.

“The assets of Alchemist Hospital and Ojas Hospital as held by M/s. Placid Estate Pvt. Ltd, valued at Rs 127.3 crore, has been attached in the current provisional attachment order,” it said.

In addition, the ED noted that it had previously arrested Kanwar Deep Singh on January 12, 2021.

A prosecution complaint was filed on March 2, 2021, followed by two supplementary complaints in July 2024 and September 2025. So far, assets worth Rs 365.42 crore have been attached in the case through earlier orders, including shares held by Sorus Agritech Pvt. Ltd. in the same hospitals.

Further investigation is underway.

Navi Mumbai: After receiving several complaints from residents about non-functional streetlights, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) discovered that copper wires from dozens of streetlight poles along the Vashi Link Road and Thane-Belapur Highway had been stolen. The thefts had plunged several stretches into darkness, raising safety concerns among commuters.

During intensified inspection rounds, workers from M/s Chaitanya Electricals, the agency responsible for streetlight maintenance, caught two men red-handed on October 27 stealing copper wires from poles near Kokilaben Hospital on Thane-Belapur Road. While one suspect fled, the other was detained with 48 meters of stolen wire. A formal FIR was lodged at the Turbhe Police Station.

According to NMMC’s Electrical Department, each streetlight pole contains around 48 meters of copper wire. Preliminary checks revealed that wires had been stolen from about 60 poles—approximately 2,880 meters in total. The large-scale thefts had disrupted power supply to several streetlights, particularly under the Belapur Flyover and near bus stops in Vashi village, where citizens had frequently complained of poor lighting and unsafe conditions.

Taking the matter seriously, City Engineer Shirish Aradwad and Executive Engineer Pravin Gade directed teams to increase surveillance and carry out frequent patrols in vulnerable areas. The swift action helped in nabbing one of the culprits, who was handed over to the Turbhe Police. Further investigation is underway.

An NMMC official said, “Theft of copper wires not only causes huge financial losses but also endangers public safety. We have stepped up monitoring and appeal to citizens to immediately report any suspicious activity near streetlight poles.”

Residents have been urged to contact the civic body’s toll-free helplines 1800-222-309 or 1800-222-310 to report such incidents and assist in maintaining the city’s infrastructure.

Mumbai: The Mumbai Police have recovered a pistol, petrol, inflammable rubber solution, and a lighter from the Powai studio where Rohit Arya held 17 children and two adults hostage on Thursday. The Mumbai Crime Branch has taken over the investigation, registering a case under Sections 109(1), 140, and 287 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. A forensic analysis of the seized materials is currently underway, officials told Media on Friday.

Earlier on Friday morning, Arya’s body was brought to the JJ Hospital mortuary for postmortem by the Crime Branch team. The 50-year-old filmmaker from Pune was shot during the rescue operation and later declared dead at 5:15 pm on Thursday.

The three-hour hostage crisis unfolded around 1:30 pm at R A Studio, located in the Mahavir Classic building, Powai, when Powai police received an alert about a man holding children captive. The children, aged 10 to 12 years, had been attending auditions for a web series for the past two days.

Before police intervention, Arya released a video message explaining his motives. In the clip, he said he had chosen to take hostages instead of committing suicide, insisting he was ‘not a terrorist’ and had no demand for money. Arya claimed he only wanted to ask some moral and ethical questions and warned that any wrong move by the authorities could lead him to set the studio on fire, potentially harming the children.

“I want to speak to some people… I should not be held responsible if anything happens,” Arya said in the video, adding that after the conversation, he would walk out. His demands, however, remained vague.

The Mumbai Police swiftly mobilised teams from the Quick Response Team (QRT), Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad, Fire Brigade, and negotiators. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone X) Datta Nalawade, officers entered the building through a duct using a ladder to reach the first floor, where Arya was holding the hostages.

During the rescue, Arya reportedly lunged toward the officers with an air gun and was hit by a police bullet during the ensuing scuffle. “All 17 children and two adults were rescued safely,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satyanarayan, confirming the operation’s success around 4:15 pm.