NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached assets worth Rs. 29.45 Crore of Alchemist group in a case of money laundering, an official said on Saturday.
According to the official, the attached movable and immovable properties include an aircraft Beech King Air C- 90A, flats, and land situated in the districts of Shimla, Sirmaur, (Himachal Pradesh) and Katni (Madhya Pradesh).
Notably, the Alchemist group is headed by Kanwar Deep Singh, Ex-Member Rajya Sabha, All India Trinamool Congress (AITC).
"A total of 18 flats have been provisionally attached by ED which were purchased by Alchemist Realty Ltd in the Parsvnath Royale Project in Panchkula, Haryana," the official said.
Further, land measuring around 250 bighas and 78 bighas situated in Keonthal, Shimla Rural district, and Sirmaur district, Himachal Pradesh respectively has been attached.
The federal probe agency had initiated an investigation on the basis of FIRs registered by CBI, Lucknow, Kolkata Police, and UP Police under various sections of IPC against multiple individuals and group companies of the Alchemist Group.
According to the official, the probe revealed that the Alchemist Group allegedly collected funds amounting to more than Rs 1800 Crore from investors or victims in its companies namely, Alchemist Holdings Limited and Alchemist Township India Limited on the false promise of providing high returns and giving flats, villas, and plots to the public/investors/victims.
However, as per ED, the investors were never returned their money and the funds siphoned off/diverted to various group companies of Alchemist Group.
The ED investigation further revealed that the Alchemist group had floated a number of companies in various fields for acquiring properties out of the proceeds of crime it acquired from the victims or investors on the false promises.
"It has also been revealed that huge parcels of land were purchased by Alchemist group in the name of third parties so as to camouflage and mask the real ownership of such properties," the official said.
Pertinent to mention here that the ED had also recently attached Rs. 10.29 Crore belonging to All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) party in the case.
The official further said that the Alchemist group had used the proceeds of crime to make payments to aviation companies on behalf of AITC.
Further investigation is underway, the official added.