The Enforcement Directorate has attached three immovable properties and two movable properties of about Rs 3.8 crore in a case related to cheating banks by impersonating various persons, including the veteran tennis player Ashok Amritraj.
According to a statement issued by the Enforcement Directorate, after due investigations, the CBI (EOW), Chennai had registered four charge sheets against T. S. Anantharaj Stephen, Franklin Samuelraj Toney and D.R.Naik for cheating Canara Bank, Guindy Branch, to the extent of about Rs. 14.5 crore and Indian Overseas Bank, Koyambedu Branch, to the tune of Rs. 2.55 crore. The ED took up this issue as it appeared to be a case of money laundering.
Investigations revealed that the accused had opened a bank account in the name of Ashok Amritraj in Canara Bank, with the collusion of bank officials, by impersonating and then diverted cash of Rs. 7 crore to fixed deposit and withdrew the same. . In another instance, with the collusion of the bank officials, the accused diverted about Rs 8 crore from the Canara Bank account of Vyasarpadi Vinayaka Mudaliar Charities to the accounts of two companies floated by the accused. The funds were again utilised for personal purposes. The accused has also impersonated the directors of Gokulam Chit funds and cheated IOB, Koyambedu Branch to the tune of Rs. 2.55 crore.
