Enforcement Directorate attaches assets worth Rs 6.3 crore of Saradha Group of Companies

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) of Kolkata wing on Friday said it has attached movable assets worth Rs 3.30 crore and immovable assets with value of over Rs 3 crore in the course of an ongoing investigation into the matter of Saradha Group of Companies under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The ED said that these properties were owned by Saradha Group and other persons, who were beneficiaries of the proceeds of crime generated by Saradha Group of Companies.

The beneficiaries include Nalini Chidambaram (wife of former Union minister and Congress leader P. Chidambaram), Debabrata Sarkar, Debendranath Biswas (ex-IPS and ex-MLA of CPM) and Anubhuti Printers and Publications owned by late Anjan Dutta, ex-minister in Assam.

Saradha Group ran a chit fund scam with operations spread over the states of West Bengal, Assam and Odisha, till 2013.

The quantum of total money mobilised by this company is about Rs 2,459 crore out of which nearly Rs 1,983 crore remains unpaid to the depositors till date, excluding the interest amount.

The ED registered a case against Saradha Group of Companies in 2013 on the basis of FIRs by the Kolkata Police and the CBI.

In the past, prior to the issue of this attachment order, ED Kolkata had issued eight Provisional Attachment Orders attaching assets/properties (value of more than Rs 600 crore).