Guwahati: The Director of Enforcement has provisionally attached assets worth Rs 65.67 crore belonging to the Ghosh Brothers group of firms and its promoters in Guwahati in connection with a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) involving a bank loan fraud of Rs 37 crore.
The promoters and directors of the company are Pranab Kumar Ghosh, Pratul Kumar Ghosh, Gita Rani Ghosh and others.
The ED launched a money-laundering investigation into the Ghosh Brothers group of companies, its promoters, and directors, based on a CBI FIR in which a charge sheet was filed before the special judicial magistrate in Guwahati, alleging that Ghosh Brothers Motors Pvt Ltd and its promoters and directors defrauded IDBI bank to the tune of Rs 37 crore.
“Five more FIRs submitted against various Ghosh Brothers group entities were taken on record for inquiry because all of the FIRs pertained to the same group and were connected to the same issue,” an ED officer said.
During the investigation, the ED discovered that the promoters/directors of the Ghosh Brothers group of firms had received a Rs 125.74 crore loan from the IDBI Bank on the basis of fake and falsified documents in the names of numerous group companies.
The loan money was transferred through many bank accounts kept in the names of various Ghosh Brothers group firms. The money was also moved to Pranab Kumar Ghosh’s family members’ personal accounts.
Meanwhile, several movable and immovable properties were obtained out of the aforementioned profits of crime by the accused in their names as well as in the names of group companies.
The ED discovered and attached properties worth Rs 65.67 crore in the form of stores, residential flats, land, and bank balances after following the required procedures.