Manipur: ED seizes luxury cars and property documents worth Rs 10 crore

Imphal: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday carried out search operations at multiple locations across Manipur, seizing three luxury vehicles, property documents valued at around Rs 10 crore, along with other incriminating papers and five mobile phones containing sensitive data, the central probe agency sources said.

The sleuths of the ED, Imphal Sub Zone, conducted search operations at five different locations in Imphal at the residential premises of Chairman and Managing Directors of Salai Group, N. Samarjit Singh, N. Biswajit Singh, A. Deepanand, E Brojendro Singh, and T. Tikendra Singh.

Adequate security and precautions were taken, and 30 CRPF personnel assisted in peacefully conducting the search operation. The searches resulted in seizure of three luxury cars — Honda Elevate, Tata Harrier and Maruti Baleno and various property documents worth Rs 10 crore, along with other incriminating documents.

The ED sources said that they also seized five mobile phones containing incriminating documents and data relating to the Salai Group of Companies.

Further, the statement of the said accused persons recorded during the search revealed that they, without any legal authority, accepted deposits from the public in cash, which were deposited in their own bank accounts.

In the bank accounts of Salai Group of Companies, the Proceeds of Crime (POC) derived by them were utilised in the acquisition of immovable properties, repayment of loans availed for the said cars, for personal expenses, etc.

ED initiated investigation based on an FIR registered by Manipur Police at Lamphel Police station under Imphal West district, Manipur under various sections of IPC,1860 against Yambem Biren, self-styled “Chief Minister of Manipur State Council” and Narengbam Samarjit, self-styled “External Affairs & Defence Minister of Manipur State Council” for their prejudicial activities like waging war against the state, sedition, promoting disharmony, enmity or feeling of hatred among different groups etc by declaring independence of Manipur state from the Union of India.

The NIA charge-sheeted N Samarjit Singh, Y. Biren, and others under IPC sections 120B, 420, and UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act) sections 13 and 17, revealing that the accused fraudulently collected public money through the Salai Group and its affiliate SMART Society by promising 36 per cent annual returns without any legal authority or license.

They laundered these funds through 19 group companies and used the money for unlawful activities, including secessionist operations.

The ED source said that the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) also registered an FIR on March 15, 2023, against Salai Group and its Directors for running an illegal Ponzi scheme under IPC, 1860.

The charge-sheet filed by the CBI revealed that the said group companies have fraudulently collected huge amounts of cash from the public in the name of M/s SMART Society without any legal authority and formed several companies/entities.

Thus, accused persons and entities in conspiracy with others defrauded the general public by illegally collecting huge amounts of cash from them and deposited the illegally/fraudulently collected cash of Rs 46,43,65,345 in different bank accounts.

During the investigation under the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act), it was found that the accused persons, without having any legal authority/license from the competent authority, collected deposits to the tune of Rs 57.36 crore in cash from the general public on the promise of a 3 per cent interest rate per month.

The funds collected were deposited by the said accused persons in their own bank accounts and in the accounts of the Salai Group of Companies. Therefore, the amount of Rs 57.36 crore collected by the said accused persons is the Proceeds of Crime (POC) derived by them from the criminal activities related to the scheduled offence.

The said POC were diverted by the aforesaid persons to bank accounts of different companies of Salai Group and the accounts of the accused persons to acquire properties in their own name, in the name of group companies, repayment of Home Loan, vehicle loans, and term loans, etc.

The same was used for waging war against the government of India, sedition, and promoting disharmony, enmity and feelings of hatred among different groups.

Further, during the investigation, a total POC of Rs 2.42 crore has been attached and confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority.

A Prosecution Complaint has also been filed before the Special Court (PMLA), Imphal East, on April 29, 2024.

During further investigation, it was found that POC were also used for acquiring machinery and plants, sending foreign remittances of approximately Rs 17.5 crore, credit card payments of Rs 2.5 crore, and repayment of vehicle loans of Rs 3.14 crore availed from HDFC Bank, Imphal Branch, in their own name.