Enforcement Directorate arrests real estate group IREO’s Lalit Goyal

New Delhi, November 16

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested the vice chairman and managing director of real estate group IREO, Lalit Goyal, in connection with a money laundering probe against him, officials said on Tuesday.

The businessman has been taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the federal probe agency in Chandigarh and will be produced before a local court for seeking his remand, they said.

Goyal was stopped by immigration authorities last Thursday at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport here on the basis of an ED lookout circular against him.

He was supposed to take a flight to the US.

Goyal was questioned at the airport and detained by the agency following which he was being questioned in Chandigarh.

Officials said as he was “evasive” while replying to the questions of the investigators, he was arrested.

The businessman is being probed in relation with a money laundering case linked to alleged diversion of estimated USD 77 million of home buyers’ funds, investments and shareholdings to some offshore entities.

Goyal’s name also figured in the ‘Pandora Papers’ global leak of offshore funds.

The businessman and his legal team had earlier denied any illegalities on their part and said no funds were diverted abroad in violation of laws. PTI