Lucknow, in a significant development related to the Anne Bullion Industries fraud case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached assets belonging to Indian Foreign Services (IFS) officer Neeharika Singh. The attached properties, totaling ₹2.03 crore, include bank balances, fixed deposits, and agricultural land in Barabanki.
The ED initiated attachment proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, in connection with the alleged ₹600 crore fraud case involving Ajeet Kumar Gupta, identified as the mastermind, and his company Anee Bullion Industries Pvt Ltd. The investigation revealed fraudulent collection of money from the public through various schemes, promising high returns ranging from 20% to 40%.
Neeharika Singh, a 2006 batch IFS officer who was last posted in Tokyo, faces scrutiny as her husband, Ajeet Kumar Gupta, is implicated in the massive fraud case. The ED alleges that funds collected from investors were layered and rotated through various companies of the ‘Anee Group,’ eventually used to acquire immovable properties in the name of Gupta and others.
Earlier this year, the ED had attached 20 immovable properties valued at ₹7.07 crore related to Anee group of companies. The current provisional attachment order marks the second in this case, bringing the total value of attached properties to ₹9.10 crore. The investigation is ongoing.
The ED had initiated the investigation in 2019 based on FIRs and complaints registered by UP Police against Ajit Kumar Gupta and various entities for cheating and fraud worth ₹110 crore. The case involves luring the public to invest in fraudulent schemes with the intention of defrauding them of their investments.
Neeharika Singh appeared before the ED Lucknow unit on October 16, responding to multiple summons, and underwent several hours of questioning in connection with the matter.
Stay tuned for further updates on this evolving story.
