The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked an official of the Enforcement Directorate for allegedly extorting ₹5 lakh from a businessman in connection with an instant mobile app loan case. Other unknown officials are also under the scanner.
The ED’s Bengaluru division had been conducting a money laundering probe into the loan case referred by the Cyber Crime unit of the Hyderabad police. It was entrusted to the agency’s deputy director, Manoj Mittal, and enforcement officer Lalit Bazad was assisting him in the investigation.
On February 5, Mr. Bazad allegedly emailed one summons to Mikhil Innani, the managing director of Mumbai-based Apollo Finvest, asking him to appear on February 9. However, the summons was signed by Mr. Mittal.
ADVERTISEMENT
According to the CBI, Mr. Innani went to the ED’s Bengaluru office along with his wife and a cousin on February 9. They took a flight back to Mumbai in the evening. It is alleged that Mr. Bazad then contacted Mr. Innani on WhatsApp and demanded ₹5 lakh to de-freeze the company’s bank account frozen by the ED. He was told the arrange the money the same day.
Mr. Bazad reached a pub in Bengaluru, and used the phone of a waiter to again contact the businessman. He shared his location through WhatsApp, after which one Manvender Bhati delivered a packet carrying cash to the pub’s parking lot staff member. He kept the packet in the Enforcement Officer’s vehicle, as alleged.
The agency has alleged that the money was arranged by a relative of Mr. Innani and delivered by Mr. Bhati on the instructions of another businessman, Rajendra Jain.
ADVERTISEMENT
Thereafter, the company’s bank account was de-frozen on February 16. The threat of freezing the accounts and false implication in the case was used by Mr. Bazad to demand illegal gratification, the CBI alleged.