ED arrests Delhi-based lawyer Rohit Tandon on money laundering charges; will appear before Saket court today

Enforcement Directorate arrested Delhi-based lawyer Rohit Tandon on Thursday in connection with money laundering case registered against him post demonetisation. He will be produced before Saket court on Thursday.

The lawyer was previously searched by the Income Tax department officials after the reports that he declared undisclosed income worth over Rs 125 crore. 

Officials said Tandon, who was being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate for the last few days, was placed under arrest late last night under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and will be produced in a court here for further custody.

The agency suspects Tandon was allegedly instrumental in the illegal conversion of demonetised currency worth about Rs 60 crore in purported connivance with Kolkata-based businessman Paras Mal Lodha and arrested Kotak Bank manager in Delhi Ashish Kumar.

With Tandon’s arrest, the investigative agencies have now nabbed some of the major players of the two high-profile black money rackets unearthed post the note ban.

While Reddy has been arrested by the CBI from Chennai, Lodha and Kumar have already been arrested by the ED apart from two others in Chennai.

The agency has been questioning Lodha and Tandon here and even brought both of them face-to-face. Sources claimed that as the required information was not coming forth from Tandon, he had to be takne into custody.

“Tandon is required for custodial interrogation,” they said.

Tandon’s case pertains to an operation of Delhi Police’s Crime Branch and the Income Tax department earlier this month when the agencies had seized Rs 13.6 crore, of which Rs 2.6 crore was in new currency, allegedly from a law firm here that he is associated with. The ED had booked a PMLA case against him based on the police FIR.

On Wednesday, ED arrested bank manager from Kotak Mahindra Bank KG Marg branch in New Delhi and there were initial reports from sources that ED may soon arrest Delhi-based lawyer too for questioning along with the manager form Kotak Mahindra and Kolkata-based businessman Paras Mal Lodha,  whom the ED had arrested earlier. The arrest was made on alleged charges that the manager was in connection with Hawala agents.    

The Enforcement Directorate arrested manager of Kotak Mahindra Bank in connection with Kolkata-based businessman Paras Mal Lodha and Delhi-based advocate Rohit Tandon. 

ED and Income Tax department are on vigil post demonitisation and raids have been conducted across India to nab the black money holders and also those involved in converting black money into white post currency ban on November 8.  

Also Read: ED arrests Kotak Bank manager on charges of money laundering in Delhi