Srinagar, March 23 – The Enforcement Directorate (ED) zonal office in Srinagar, J&K, announced on Monday that it has provisionally attached Rs 16,86,465 as proceeds of crime generated through deception of innocent victims through what is being termed as "digital arrest."
A press release by the ED stated that the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Srinagar Zonal Office, has provisionally attached proceeds of crime amounting to Rs. 16,86,465/- under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The amount is held in a bank account maintained in the name of M/s Jeevika Foundations with HDFC Bank, Karol Bagh, New Delhi. This account is operated by the accused, Gaurav Kumar, son of Jaipal Singh, who is found to be involved in a well-organized digital fraud racket.
The ED initiated an investigation based on FIR No. 26/2024 dated 19.10.2024 registered by the Cyber Police Station, Kashmir Zone, along with a preliminary charge sheet filed before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar.
The investigation pertains to a cyber fraud in which innocent citizens were deceived by impersonating officials from law enforcement and regulatory agencies.
The investigation revealed that the accused persons, namely Gaurav Kumar, Gurpreet Singh, and Ujjwal Chauhan, in conspiracy with other associates, executed a well-planned fraud by impersonating officials of agencies such as TRAI and CBI.
The victim was falsely informed that he was involved in a money laundering case linked to national security and was threatened with arrest. Under fear, coercion, and psychological pressure, the victim was compelled to liquidate his fixed deposits and transfer funds.
Accordingly, an amount of Rs. 21,00,000 was fraudulently obtained from the victim and transferred to the bank account of M/S Jeevika Foundations, which acted as the primary beneficiary and conduit account.
Out of the total defrauded amount, a sum of Rs. 4,13,535/- has already been refunded to the complainant pursuant to the order dated 28.09.2024 passed by the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar.
However, the remaining amount of Rs. 16,86,465/-, which is identifiable and traceable in the bank account of M/s Jeevika Foundations, constitutes proceeds of crime under the provisions of PMLA, 2002. Furthermore, this amount has been provisionally attached under section 5(1) of the PMLA Act, 2002.
The ED has been aggressively investigating financial crimes in which criminals create assets, both cash and property, through violations of rules and regulations.
