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Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached a property in the national capital, valued at ₹4.50 crore and belonged to a company Sharan Svadha LLP, in the Pilatus Aircraft case, where arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari is accused of bribing to clinch an Indian Air Force deal.
Designated partners of Sharan Svadha LLP, registered at Panchsheel Park in New Delhi, are Bimal Krishan Sareen, Anil Kumar and Sony Sareen.
The ED officially stated on Wednesday that during the course of investigation it emerged that Switzerland-based Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. entered into criminal conspiracy with Sanjay Bhandari, his partner Bimal Sareen and others for obtaining the contract of supply of 75 basic trainer aircrafts to IAF in 2009. “In pursuance of this conspiracy, commission/kickbacks (proceeds of crime) of ₹343 crore from M/s Pilatus Aircraft Ltd., Switzerland, were received in the bank accounts of the companies controlled / beneficially owned by Sanjay Bhandari in India and UAE for influencing the process of contract in its favour,” the ED alleged.
During the investigation under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the agency stated it found that part of this commission were transferred to Sharan Svadha LLP, an entity beneficially owned by Bimal Sareen and his wife, for purchasing an immovable property in New Delhi which has been attached.
The ED initiated investigation under PMLA against Pilatus Aircraft Ltd., arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, Offset India Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (OISPL) and others based on an FIR registered by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in June 2019 to inquire into allegations of corruption in IAF deal.
Bhandari and Bimal Sareen, both the then directors of Offset India Solutions Private Limited, allegedly signed a service provider agreement with Bhandari in June 2010 with Pilatus for basic trainer aircrafts, which was in violation of the Defence Procurement Procedure, 2008, the CBI had earlier stated.
TN’s sea cucumbers smuggling
ED has also attached immovable properties worth ₹5.7 crore belonging to Villayutham and his family, members in Tamil Nadu’s sea cucumbers smuggling case.
The attached properties includes vacant plots, agricultural lands, and buildings including Hotel Ramajayam in Rameswaram, the agency stated. Investigation was initiated under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 against Villayutham and others on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by the Tamil Nadu Police and Wildlife Authorities from 2008 till 2022.
Investigation revealed that smuggler Villayutham, a habitual offender, had generated proceeds of crime through smuggling and trading of sea cucumbers which is strictly banned in India since 2001 since they are a marine species protected under Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. There is a high demand for the sea cucumbers in Singapore, China and other far eastern countries, the ED stated.
The ED alleged that the said proceeds generated in cash was later layered and channelled into the banking system and was used to repay loans in cash, and to acquire properties including a hotel.
Villayutham is currently in judicial custody following his arrest on March 13, 2023.
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