‘Cloud particle scam’: ED arrests promoter couple from Delhi airport

The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday said it has arrested the promoter couple of a company, which allegedly duped many investors through a “cloud particle scam”, from the Delhi airport under the anti-money laundering law.

Sukhvinder Singh Kharour and Dimple Kharour were taken into custody on Thursday. A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Jalandhar, Punjab remanded “mastermind” Sukhvinder Singh Kharour in ED custody for ten days and his wife Dimple Kharour for five days, the federal agency said in a statement.

The two were detained at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport on the basis of a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued by the ED.

Last month, the ED had arrested a man named Arif Nisar in this case.

The agency said Sukhvinder Singh Kharour, the CEO and founder of Vuenow Group, is the ‘mastermind’ of this scam.

The CEO, in connivance with his close associates, orchestrated the ‘cloud particle scam’ worth thousands of crores of rupees where the hard-earned money of the investors was “siphoned off” by the accused persons for their personal gains, the ED said.

The underlying business of cloud particle, based on the sale and lease back model, was found “substantively non-existent” and “grossly over-stated” to “cheat” the investors, it said.

Proceeds of crime worth Rs 3,558 crore have been generated out of these criminal activities and were utilised for other than business purposes and further “diverted” by VMSL and group companies in giving high commissions to channel partners, purchase of various luxurious vehicles, gold and diamonds, routing of funds to the tune of hundreds of crores through shell entities and investment in properties, it said.

Funds of crores of rupees were “diverted” into the personal bank accounts of Dimple Kharour and to various entities like Kharour Films LLP, Fruitchaat Entertainment Pvt. and AvniI T Infra Ventures Ltd,  in which she is a director and partner.

However, these companies do not have any relation with the cloud particle business, it said.