Man held for pressurising ED officers in PMLA case

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has arrested Kalyan Banerjee, an imposter accused of attempting to interfere in the functioning of the agency. The accused has been remanded to judicial custody till January 23.

Banerjee was arrested on January 10 in connection with an ongoing investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. He was produced before a special PMLA court on January 11, which ordered his judicial custody.

The arrest is linked to an ED probe against Nowhera Shaik and others under the provisions of the PMLA, based on several FIRs registered by police in multiple states.

According to the police investigation, Nowhera Shaik and her associates allegedly collected investments exceeding Rs 5,978 crore from the public by promising returns of over 36 per cent per annum, but failed to return even the principal amounts.

During the course of the investigation, the ED has attached properties worth approximately Rs 428 crore. Several of these assets have been put up for auction through MSTC. However, Nowhera Shaik has repeatedly attempted to stall the auction process by approaching the Supreme Court and the Telangana High Court.

The ED alleged that Nowhera Shaik hired Banerjee on a monthly remuneration and commission basis. Banerjee is said to have contacted ED officers through messages and phone calls, falsely projecting himself as being close to senior bureaucrats and politicians. He allegedly threatened officers and exerted pressure to halt the auction process.

Banerjee was traced through intelligence inputs, following which a search under Section 17 of the PMLA was conducted at his premises in Secunderabad on January 10. Further investigation in the matter is under way.