ED attaches assets worth Rs 2.16cr in money laundering case

New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said it has attached immovable and movable assets worth Rs 2.16 crore in connection with a money laundering case against Nava Diganta Capital Services Ltd, and its other group companies.

The ED’s case is against its directors Anjan Kumar Baliyarsingh, Pradeep Kumar Pattnaik, Kartikeya Parida and the erstwhile directors Ramachandra Hansdah (erstwhile MP, Mayurbhanj in Odisha), Subarna Naik (erstwhile MLA, Keonjhar Sadar) and Hitesh Kumar Bagartti (erstwhile MLA, Khariar, Nuapada district in Odisha).

The ED said these assets include movable assets in the form of outlying balances worth Rs 16 lakh, as available in 48 bank accounts maintained at IDBI and Indian Bank as well as immovable assets in the form of two land parcels worth Rs 2 crore at Narendrapur Mouza, Puri district (Odisha), and Kaipadar Mouza, Khordha district (Odisha).

The ED initiated money laundering investigation on the basis of the FIR and two chargsheets filed by the CBI.

The ED learnt that Nava Diganta Capital Services Ltd. was collecting public deposits by issuing Redeemable Preference Shares and Non-Convertible Debentures (income debentures and wealth debentures) by fraudulently luring the gullible public on the pretext of giving higher interest by issuing money receipts and certificates to this effect without having any authorization whatsoever from any regulatory authority namely RBI, SEBI etc. to do such activities.

Nava Diganta Capital Services Ltd. was found to misappropriate the invested amount and divert the funds by way of granting loans and advances to its other group concerns namely Nava Diganta Projects Ltd. and Nava Diganta Properties Ltd.

–IANS

atk/pgh