ED seizes assets worth Rs 4 Crore in Karnataka fraud case

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday said it has attached assets worth about Rs 4 crore as part of a money laundering investigation against a Karnataka-based woman, who is alleged to have cheated a number of people by threatening and claiming proximity to "high profile" politicians.

Congress leader D K Suresh, the younger brother of Karnataka deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, appeared before the federal probe agency and recorded his statement in this case on Monday in Bengaluru.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had arrested the woman -- 33-year-old Aishwarya Gowda -- earlier in April following searches against her, Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni and some others.

The provisionally attached properties include flats, building and land worth Rs 2.01 crore apart from cash and Rs 1.97 crore vehicle, the ED said in a statement.

An order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was issued on June 19 for attaching these properties, it added.

The total value of the attached properties is Rs 3.98 crore, the ED said.

The ED did not specify in the statement as to whom the attached assets belonged to.

The money laundering case against Gowda, her husband Harish K N and some others stems from multiple FIRs filed by Karnataka Police against them.

The allegation in the FIRs is that Gowda, her husband and others have entered into a "criminal conspiracy" to defraud and cheat several individuals by taking gold, cash and funds through bank accounts promising high rate of returns, the agency said.

However, it said, that the accused neither returned the money nor gave the promised return and also "threatened" the investors of dire consequences in case of further pursuance of the matter by "claiming her proximity to various high profile politicians".

Gowda is alleged to have used the name of D K Suresh, a former MP, and claimed to be his sister. Suresh had denied knowing her and filed a police complaint against her.

He spoke to the press in Bengaluru before appearing before the agency.

"The ED issued a notice asking me to appear before the investigation officer at 11 am. So, accordingly, I am reaching there. They had sought some information. So, today I am meeting the ED officers with my lawyer," Suresh said.

He said that this case was unrelated to him.

"I am unable to understand why the notice was served to me. I was the one who had lodged a complaint with the police commissioner against the woman, who had orally said that she is my sister. I have no connection with the cheating case," Suresh said.