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New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Mumbai zonal office has arrested one more person in the Rs 263 crore-Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) scam, an official said on Sunday, adding that the accused was sent to ED custody by a Special PMLA Court.
Earlier, three accused persons were arrested in this case, including Tanaji Mandal Adhikari, Bhushan Patil, and Rajesh Shetty, who are currently in judicial custody.
The accused was identified as Rajesh Brijlal Batreja, who was arrested on May 16, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in the case.
The official said that Batreja was instrumental in diverting part of the Proceeds of Crime (PoC) of Rs 55.5 crore outside India and round-tripping part of the said POC in two entities in India under the guise of investment from Dubai.
The financial probe agency had initiated an investigation based on an FIR registered by CBI under various sections of the IPC, 1860, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1986, against Tanaji Mandal Adhikari and others for fraudulently generating and issuance of TDS refunds from the Income Tax Department worth Rs 263.95 crore.
"ED investigation revealed that Batreja helped Adhikari in diverting PoC of Rs 55.5 crore into three shell companies to convert them into cash for sending it outside India through a hawala channel," the agency said in a statement.
It also added that after the diversion of POC, Batreja also assisted Adhikari in concealing the proceeds of crime and later in placement and layering of the said siphoned-off POC by incorporating firms with the help of a local person in Dubai to project it as untainted.
"Investigation also revealed that Rajesh Brijlal Batreja has further invested part of the said siphoned-off PoC in the two Indian companies based in Mumbai and Gurugram under the guise of share investment by making cross-border remittances," it said.
Earlier in this case, immovable/movable properties to the tune of Rs 168 crore have been identified and seized/attached so far.
A prosecution complaint has also been filed on September 11 against Adhikari and 10 others, cognisance of which has also been taken by the Special PMLA Court.
--IANS
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