The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached multiple properties worth over Rs 1,452 crore linked to industrialist Anil Ambani in connection with its money laundering probe into alleged loan fraud by him and his group companies. The assets, spread across Navi Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, and Bhubaneswar, have been attached under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), a source said.
With the latest action, the cumulative attachment of properties belonging to the Ambani group in the ongoing probe has risen to nearly Rs 9,000 crore.
The central agency has attached the assets in a case involving the alleged diversion and laundering of public funds by Reliance Home Finance Limited (RHFL) and Reliance Commercial Finance Ltd (RCFL).
“During 2017–2019, Yes Bank invested Rs 2,965 crore in RHFL instruments and Rs 2,045 crore in RCFL instruments. These turned into non‑performing investments by December 2019, with Rs 1,353.50 crore then outstanding for RHFL and Rs 1,984 crore for RCFL,” a spokesperson had said earlier.
A query has been sent to Anil Ambani’s spokesperson, and a reply is awaited.
Earlier this month, the central agency provisionally attached properties worth about Rs 3,084 crore linked to Anil Ambani, including from a house in Mumbai, the Reliance Centre property in Delhi and other properties across Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kancheepuram, and East Godavari.
The agency attached these assets, including office premises, residential units, and land parcels, after the orders were issued on October 31 under Section 5(1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
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On Tuesday, the Supreme Court issued a notice on a plea seeking a court-monitored probe into alleged bank fraud by Anil Ambani-promoted Reliance Communications Ltd and other companies.