Mumbai, July 18: The ED filed a charge sheet against self-proclaimed ‘godman’ Ashokkumar Eknath Kharat @Captain @ Bondhu Baba, his wife and four others for money-laundering linked to an extortion racket run under the guise of spiritual practices, an official statement said on Saturday.

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Mumbai Zonal Office, filed the charge sheet against Kharat, his wife Kalpana Kharat and other accused before the Special Court (PMLA), Mumbai.

Assets worth Rs 36.90 crore have been attached, seized or frozen in the case till date in the case, the statement said.

Earlier, the ED had also arrested Kharat on May 19 under Section 19 of the PMLA for the offence of money-laundering, and he continues to be in judicial custody.

On July 15, the ED provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 19.20 crore under Section 5 of the PMLA, 2002, held in the names of the accused and his family members, it said.

This was in addition to assets worth Rs 17.70 crore seized/frozen during searches conducted under Section 17 of the PMLA at multiple premises, bank lockers and vehicles linked to the accused and his associates during April and May 2026, said the ED.

The ED had initiated an investigation against Kharat based on multiple FIRs registered by Sarkar Wada, Shirdi, Sinnar and Rahata Police Stations.

Investigation revealed that Kharat exploited the religious faith of devotees and dishonestly induced them to part with money and properties under the pretext of performing “Avatar Poojas”, curing illnesses, averting misfortune and ensuring business prosperity, thereby generating Proceeds of Crime through extortion, cheating and criminal intimidation, the ED said.

Investigation also revealed that Kharat falsely projected himself as possessing divine powers and as an incarnation of Lord Shiva to deceive devotees, the ED said.

He laundered the Proceeds of Crime through two cooperative credit societies by fraudulently operating over multiple accounts in connivance with an employee and through multiple benami accounts for large cash deposits and subsequent withdrawals, including maturity proceeds, the ED said.

The laundered funds were retained with trusted associates or invested in immovable properties across Nashik, Ahmednagar, Solapur, Pune and Mumbai in the names of his family members, the ED said.

Mumbai, July 17: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed monetary penalties on Muthoot Finance Limited as well as Muthoot Vehicle and Asset Finance Limited for non-compliance with the central bank’s Know Your Customer (KYC) directions.

The RBI has imposed a penalty of Rs 5.80 lakh on Muthoot Finance Limited and Rs 2.70 lakh on Muthoot Vehicle and Asset Finance Limited for the breach of its regulations, according to a statement issued on Friday.

The RBI said that it carried out statutory inspection of Muthoot Finance Limited with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2025.

Based on the supervisory findings of noncompliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the company advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for failure to comply with the said directions.

After considering the company’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI concluded that the company failed to put in place a system of periodic review of risk categorisation of accounts; and it also failed to put in place a robust software for effective identification and reporting of suspicious transactions.

In the case of Muthoot Vehicle and Asset Finance Limited also, the RBI conducted a statutory inspection of the company.

Based on the supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the company advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for failure to comply with the said directions.

After considering the company’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the company failed to put in place a system of periodic review of risk categorisation of accounts, with such periodicity being at least once in six months.

According to the RBI, the action in both cases is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the companies with their customers.

The imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the companies, the RBI said.

Mumbai, July 17: In a significant breakthrough in a transnational smuggling racket, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted an international gold smuggling syndicate and arrested six people, including three Filipinos, officials said on Friday.

The syndicate was allegedly being run with the connivance of private persons working at the airport premises, officials said.

The six arrested accused have been identified as Mumbai residents Himanshu Upadhyay, Mohid Hasan Siddiqui and Feroz Sayyed; and three nationals of the Philippines, Lakim Alimudin Nasser, Benny Lloyd Olivo and Christine Joy Andaya Pornasdoro.

According to DRI, the accused have revealed during interrogation that they were working for a smuggling syndicate that smuggled gold through transit passengers from Dubai and Bangkok to Mumbai, with the help of some people working at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in the city.

Earlier this month, the DRI, in coordination with other agencies including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), had busted an interstate wildlife trafficking syndicate across West Bengal and Maharashtra.

Several wildlife species, listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, including 15 Slow Lorises, two Binturongs, 28 Star Tortoises, six Egyptian Vultures and two Shikra birds were recovered and rescued.

The Intelligence in the case was developed by DRI, and the matter is now being investigated by the CBI. The six people were subsequently arrested by the CBI.

The DRI has also foiled multiple attempts by passengers arriving from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Colombo to smuggle protected wildlife into India through international airports.

In these operations, species like Albino Red-eared Turtles, Hypo Zero Bearded Dragons, African Spurred Tortoises, Borneo Pythons, Green Iguanas, Mangrove Monitor Lizards, Argentine Black and White Tegus, Goeldi’s Marmosets, Yellow Cheeked Gibbons, Indonesian Blue Tongued Skinks, Siamang Gibbons, Woolley Monkeys, Silvery Lutungs, Yellow Belly Ball Pythons, Pastel Ball Pythons and other species were seized and rescued.

The total number of seizures in these operations has reached 440.