Srinagar, Dec 3: The Directorate of Enforcement has filed a Prosecution Complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, against six persons from Jammu and Kashmir for allegedly duping a businessman of ₹6.9 crore.
The chargesheet was submitted to the Special PMLA Court in Jammu on November 25, 2024.
The accused include Mohammad Iqbal Bakerwal, Muddasar Ali, Abdul Jalil (residents of Channi Mansar, J&K), and Akhtar Mir, Parvez Mir, and Iqbal Mir (residents of Batote, J&K). The court has taken cognizance of the charges and issued notices to all accused.
The ED initiated its investigation based on an FIR filed by the Crime Branch, Jammu, alleging that the accused lured a local businessman into paying ₹6.9 crore for a purportedly rare and magical substance called “Trathgola.”
The investigation revealed that the accused laundered the money through 29 bank accounts. They deposited the proceeds in small amounts to avoid detection and integrated them into the legitimate banking system. Middlemen involved in the scheme reportedly charged ₹1.3 crore as a finder’s fee for facilitating the fraudulent deal.
The ED had earlier issued a Provisional Attachment Order for movable and immovable assets worth ₹1.85 crore which include bank accounts, fixed deposits, and land properties linked to the accused.
The ED said that further investigation is underway to uncover more details of the money laundering process and identify additional assets linked to the crime.
