The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra for questioning in connection with an alleged violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999. Official sources reveal that Moitra has been asked to appear before the ED officials in Delhi on March 28, as per newswire PTI.
Also Read | Cash for query case: CBI conducts searches at TMC leader Mahua Moitra’s residence
The move comes after the ED conducted widespread searches across multiple locations, including Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kurukshetra, and Kolkata, over suspected FEMA violations. The agency stated that the searches targeted the premises of Capricornian Shipping & Logistics Pvt Ltd, its directors, and associated entities, as per ANI.
Also Read | Mahua Moitra, Darshan Hiranandani named in CBI FIR in cash-for-query case
Alleged Suspicious Outward Remittances
According to the ED, the investigation revealed that these entities were involved in sending foreign exchange outside India on a large scale. Suspicious outward remittances amounting to ₹1800 crore were allegedly made to Galaxy Shipping & Logistics Pte Ltd. and Horizon Shipping & Logistics Pte Ltd., both based in Singapore and managed by one Anthony De Silva.
Modus Operandi Uncovered
The agency claims that Capricornian Shipping and Logistics Pvt Ltd, along with Laxmiton Maritime and associates, made outward remittances of ₹1800 crore to the Singapore-based entities under the guise of bogus freight services and imports. These transactions were allegedly layered through a web of complex transactions involving shell entities.
During the searches, the ED seized unexplained cash amounting to ₹2.54 crore, part of which was found hidden in a washing machine. Additionally, various incriminating documents and digital devices were seized, and 47 bank accounts of the involved entities were frozen.
(With Inputs from Agencies)
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Published: 27 Mar 2024, 01:15 PM IST
