The ED attached immovable properties worth Rs 40 crore in connection with a money-laundering investigation arising out of the bank loan fraud committed by Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL) and its promoters, Kapil Wadhawan and Deeraj Wadhawan, an official said on Monday.

The provisional attachment was carried out by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Headquarters Investigation Unit, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

The properties attached in connection with the ongoing case comprise land parcels at Karjat, district Raigad, Maharashtra, and a residential plot at Shanti Niketan, New Delhi, the ED said.

The ED investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by the CBI, AC-VI, New Delhi, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, pursuant to a complaint filed by Union Bank of India on behalf of a consortium of 17 banks.

As per the FIR, Kapil Wadhawan, Dheeraj Wadhawan and others entered into a criminal conspiracy to cheat the consortium of banks, which had sanctioned credit facilities aggregating to Rs 42,871 crore to DHFL.

The loan funds were siphoned off and misappropriated through falsification of the books of accounts of DHFL, resulting in a wrongful loss of Rs 34,615 crore to the consortium lenders, the ED said.

The ED investigation revealed that the Wadhawans controlled around 225 companies, directly or through family members, associates and employees.

Forensic audits of DHFL identified 66 entities connected to the promoters to which loans and advances of over Rs 29,100 crore were disbursed, the ED said.

The investigation has further revealed that Rs 11,549 crore was diverted from DHFL to 87 promoter-controlled entities through a fictitious “Bandra Branch.” Through this branch, large disbursals to Wadhawan Group entities were split and disguised as home loans in the names of about 2.60 lakh fictitious retail borrowers.

The inflated retail loan book enabled DHFL to raise further borrowings from banks, evade regulatory scrutiny and conceal related-party transactions, the ED said.

It may be recalled that the ED has already filed a chargesheet before the Special Court (PMLA), Mumbai, against 17 accused including Kapil Wadhawan and Dheeraj Wadhawan, followed by a Supplementary Chargesheet against 5 more accused.

Earlier, during search operations conducted on August 19, 2026, the ED had frozen $5.41 million (Rs 51.75 crore) linked to the disposal of a foreign asset of the Wadhawan family, said the statement.

Investigation revealed that in 2018-19, DHFL diverted proceeds of crime of Rs 40.40 crore to two Mumbai-based proprietorship concerns, namely Reliable Services and Millennium Services, belonging to Harish Dedhiya and his wife Dhara Dedhiya. These payments were made against fictitious services which were never rendered, the ED said.

The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has arrested a 22-year-old wanted criminal, carrying a reward of Rs 50,000, for his involvement in an armed dacoity at a businessman’s residence in the upscale Golf Links area of the national capital.

The accused, identified as Sushil Kumar, was arrested from Bihar’s Madhubani district, following an extensive operation by the Anti-Extortion and Kidnapping Cell (AEKC) of the Crime Branch.

According to the police, the case dates back to April 16, when a group of seven to eight armed assailants barged into the residence of 76-year-old businessman Ashok Chawla at 187, Golf Links. Armed with swords and other deadly weapons, the attackers assaulted and threatened the family members before fleeing with cash and jewellery worth approximately Rs 30-35 lakh.

Investigations revealed that the dacoity was allegedly carried out in connivance with Sushil Kumar, who had recently been employed as a domestic help at the residence.

Following the incident, a case was registered under FIR No. 29/2026 under Sections 311/61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Tughlak Road police station.

While six co-accused were arrested earlier, Sushil Kumar managed to evade arrest. Subsequently, the court issued non-bailable warrants against him and initiated proceedings under Section 84 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Considering the gravity of the offence, a cash reward of Rs 50,000 was announced for information leading to his arrest on October 22.

The Crime Branch subsequently tasked its teams with tracking down wanted and absconding criminals operating across Delhi and other states.

The breakthrough came through technical surveillance and sustained ground-level intelligence gathering. Acting on specific inputs that the accused was hiding in Bihar, a specialised team led by Inspector Veer Singh was constituted under the supervision of ACP Pankaj Arora and the overall supervision of DCP Sanjeev Kumar Yadav.

The team, headed by Sub-Inspectors Imran and Ankur, included ASIs Deepchand and Umesh Kumar and Head Constables Yograj, Manoj, Sandeep, Manish, Mukesh Chaudhary, and Anoop.

The police said tracing the accused was challenging due to the sensitive nature of the area and its proximity to the Nepal border. However, on October 31, the team conducted a coordinated operation and apprehended Sushil Kumar near Ghoghardiha Railway Station in Madhubani.

The accused was arrested under Sections 35(1)(c) and 35(1)(d) of the BNSS. He was subsequently produced before the court concerned at Patiala House Courts.

A missing girl was traced in J&K’s Baramulla district within two hours, and a major theft case cracked within 24 hours, police said on Monday.

Demonstrating prompt response, effective coordination and strong police-public cooperation, J&K Police in Baramulla successfully traced a missing minor girl within just two hours of receiving information about her whereabouts, the Kashmir Zone police said in a statement.

PCR Baramulla on Monday received a police signal regarding a minor girl, reported missing from Uttar Pradesh’s Barolia, with her last known location traced to Baramulla. Acting promptly on the information, PCR Baramulla immediately conveyed the alert to Police Station Chandoosa for necessary action. Taking swift cognisance, Police Station Chandoosa circulated the information among Beat Officers and launched coordinated efforts to trace the girl. With the assistance of the local Lambardar and Chowkidar, the missing minor girl was successfully traced from Murran Tangwari village and brought to the police station within two hours of receipt of the information.

During preliminary questioning, it emerged that the girl had travelled from Uttar Pradesh to Jammu and subsequently Srinagar after coming into contact with a boy through Snapchat while playing the online game ‘Free Fire’.

Following necessary formalities, the minor girl was handed over to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Baramulla, through the Police Welfare Officer, accompanied by women police personnel, for her safety, care, and further necessary action.

Police Station Hassan Ganj in Uttar Pradesh, and PCR Baramulla were also informed. The prompt action by J&K Police reflects its alertness, efficient inter-district coordination and unwavering commitment towards the safety and protection of children, the statement said, adding that the police reiterates its commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of every citizen, particularly children and vulnerable sections of society.

In another swift and professionally executed operation, Baramulla police have solved a theft case within 24 hours, recovering all eight stolen deep freezers, arresting four accused persons, and seizing the vehicle used in the commission of the offence.

A written complaint was lodged by Nazir Ahmad Kanroo, owner of Kanroo Enterprises, regarding the theft of deep freezers from his warehouse located at Gousia Colony, near Gulnar Park, Baramulla.

Accordingly, a case under relevant sections of BNS was registered at Police Station Baramulla, and investigation was taken up. During the course of investigation, police teams conducted technical analysis and identified several suspects for questioning.

During questioning, one of the suspects, identified as Adil Hassan Dar, resident of Zogiyar, Sheeri, disclosed his involvement in the offence along with his associates.

Further investigation revealed that a pickup vehicle bearing registration No. JK01AF-7379, driven by Arif Hussain Wani, was used to transport the stolen property.

The stolen deep freezers had subsequently been distributed among the accused and their associates. Acting swiftly on the leads developed during investigation, multiple police teams were constituted and dispatched to different locations.

Through coordinated efforts and systematic searches, police successfully recovered all eight stolen deep freezers – five from the possession of Showkat Ahmad Dar alias Sahil, two from the shop of Asif Amin Tantary, and one from the residence of Wani.

The vehicle used in the commission of the offence was also seized, and all four accused persons have been arrested in accordance with due legal procedure.

The successful detection of the case within 24 hours, recovery of the entire stolen property and seizure of the vehicle reflect the swift response, professional investigation, effective technical analysis and coordinated efforts of J&K Police, the zonal police said.

Further investigation is underway to establish the complete chain of the offence and ascertain the possible involvement of any other persons. Police reiterate their commitment to protecting the life and property of citizens and ensuring prompt action against criminal activities, the statement said.