MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has submitted a chargesheet in a special court against former income-tax inspector Tanaji Adhikari, former GST-inspector-turned-actor Kriti Verma, her businessman boyfriend, Bhushan Patil, and others in a money laundering case connected to fraudulent TDS refunds amounting to Rs 264 crore.
The ED named over a dozen accused in the case, including companies used for layering of defrauded money and individuals associated with these. The ED had attached, seized and frozen assets and valuables worth Rs 166 crore in the case and is investigating the remaining proceeds of the crime.
Verma denied any wrongdoing after stating that she came into Patil’s life in 2020, more than three years after he allegedly committed the fraud, and claimed that she had no connection with Adhikari.
Patil, who was in a relationship with Verma, a former Big Boss and Roadies Xtreme participant, is a key accused along with Adhikari. The ED said much of the ill-gotten money was channelled into Patil’s account and a part of the funds used to buy properties, including some in Verma’s name.
Authorities said Adhikari, a senior tax assistant at the income-tax office handling refund of tax deducted at source (TDS), gained the confidence of senior officials and found out their login credentials. He used these to clear bogus TDS refund claims submitted to the I-T office by his associates. The money was refunded into an account of Patil’s company. From November 2019 to November 2020, Adhikari had cleared 12 fraudulent TDS refunds amounting Rs 264 crore.
Adhikari was even promoted to I-T inspector in February 2021. He was exposed when a bank to which the cheated amount was transferred from a government account raised a red flag. In January 2022, the CBI registered a cheating case, naming Adhikari, Patil and four unknown persons and subsequently the ED too registered a money laundering case for investigation.
Patil allegedly diverted the proceeds of crime worth over Rs 2.5 crore into Verma’s account, of which over Rs 1 crore was used to buy a property in Gurugram, Haryana, in 2021. Patil was facing CBI and ED investigations. Subsequently, Verma sold the property for Rs 1.18 crore and received money in her account, which ED froze in the case.
The ED had also investigated Verma’s father, as a part of the proceeds of the crime was received by her in a joint bank account with her father.
The ED named over a dozen accused in the case, including companies used for layering of defrauded money and individuals associated with these. The ED had attached, seized and frozen assets and valuables worth Rs 166 crore in the case and is investigating the remaining proceeds of the crime.
Verma denied any wrongdoing after stating that she came into Patil’s life in 2020, more than three years after he allegedly committed the fraud, and claimed that she had no connection with Adhikari.
Patil, who was in a relationship with Verma, a former Big Boss and Roadies Xtreme participant, is a key accused along with Adhikari. The ED said much of the ill-gotten money was channelled into Patil’s account and a part of the funds used to buy properties, including some in Verma’s name.
Authorities said Adhikari, a senior tax assistant at the income-tax office handling refund of tax deducted at source (TDS), gained the confidence of senior officials and found out their login credentials. He used these to clear bogus TDS refund claims submitted to the I-T office by his associates. The money was refunded into an account of Patil’s company. From November 2019 to November 2020, Adhikari had cleared 12 fraudulent TDS refunds amounting Rs 264 crore.
Adhikari was even promoted to I-T inspector in February 2021. He was exposed when a bank to which the cheated amount was transferred from a government account raised a red flag. In January 2022, the CBI registered a cheating case, naming Adhikari, Patil and four unknown persons and subsequently the ED too registered a money laundering case for investigation.
Patil allegedly diverted the proceeds of crime worth over Rs 2.5 crore into Verma’s account, of which over Rs 1 crore was used to buy a property in Gurugram, Haryana, in 2021. Patil was facing CBI and ED investigations. Subsequently, Verma sold the property for Rs 1.18 crore and received money in her account, which ED froze in the case.
The ED had also investigated Verma’s father, as a part of the proceeds of the crime was received by her in a joint bank account with her father.
