Ahmedabad, March 23 The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a prosecution complaint before the Special Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Ahmedabad against a chartered accountant accused of defrauding a trust of over Rs six crore, officials said on Monday.
In a statement issued on Monday, the agency said the complaint was filed in connection with a cheating case involving Tehmul Sethna, a practising chartered accountant, who allegedly defrauded the Environment Research & Development Centre (ERDC).
The case stems from an FIR registered by the Gujarat Police under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, which are scheduled offences under the PMLA.
According to the Enforcement Directorate, its investigation found that Sethna had been entrusted with the trust's administrative and financial affairs.
During this period, he allegedly obtained the signature of one of the trustees for the purpose of opening a bank account and later forged the same signature to issue unauthorised bearer cheques.
“After being entrusted with the administrative and financial affairs of the Trust (ERDC), Tehmul Sethna deceitfully obtained the signature of one of the trustees for opening a bank account and subsequently forged the said signature to issue unauthorised bearer cheques,” the agency said in the statement.
It added, “Through this modus operandi, he withdrew funds amounting to approximately Rs 6.85 Crore from the Trust’s bank account without the knowledge or consent of the trustees, thereby generating Proceeds of Crime and deriving wrongful pecuniary gains to the tune of Rs 6.85 crore.”
Officials further said that a provisional attachment order had earlier been issued in the case, under which various immovable properties, including residential flats and plots, were attached.
The value of these properties is equivalent to the total alleged proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 6.85 crore.
The matter is now pending before the Special Court (PMLA) in Ahmedabad for further proceedings.
--IANS
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