The Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized several documents from the office premises of Orris Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, along with luxury cars, various Fixed Deposits (FDs) and Bank Guarantees (BGs) worth ₹31.22 crore, in connection with an alleged real state fraud of over ₹500 crore, PTI reported.
The FDs and BGs, amounting to ₹31.22 crore, were in the name of the Orris group of companies and have now been seized and frozen, the anti-corruption agency announced on Tuesday.
Bank accounts and lockers of the company’s promoters have also been frozen and four luxury cars — Mercedes, Porsche, and BMW models — were seized from the residence of one of the Orris group’s directors and promoters.
These things were seized during a search operation which was conducted on November 25 at 14 locations across Delhi-NCR under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The operation was aimed at Orris Infrastructure Private Limited, its directors and promoters Vijay Gupta and Amit Gupta, as well as Three C Shelters Private Limited, and its promoters and directors Nirmal Singh Uppal and Vidhur Bhardwaj.
The anti-probe agency initiated its probe based on two FIRs registered by Delhi Police‘s Economic Offences Wing (EOW), which were filed on the basis of complaints from homebuyers and investors.
Eventually, a chargesheet in the case was filed by the EOW.
What is the case?
According to the ED, multiple allegations including those of cheating, criminal breach of trust, and fraud involving hundreds of homebuyers, have been levelled against the accused companies and individuals.
The cases claimed that Orris Infrastructure Private Limited and Three C Shelters Private Limited collaborated to develop a residential group housing project named Greenpolis in Gurugram’s Sector 89, Haryana.
Greenpolis is based on a 47-acre land parcel owned by the Orris Group. Subsequently, the development rights for the project were granted to Three C Shelters Private Limited.
“However, it is alleged that Orris Infrastructure Private Limited, through its promoters and directors, in collusion with Three C Shelters Private Limited and its promoters and directors, conspired to siphon off the hard-earned money of homebuyers by failing to complete the project within the stipulated time and by not delivering residential units to homebuyers and investors,” ED’s statement read.
During the search operations, the anti-corruption agency said that it recovered and seized several incriminating documents related to fund diversion, layering of finances, property ownership, and assets of the companies. These papers included sale deeds, registration deeds, and various electronic devices like laptops and hard drives.
(with PTI inputs)