ED arrests Mumbai-based builder in money laundering case

Representational Image

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested a Mumbai-based builder in an alleged money laundering case, officials said, reported news agency ANI.

As per ED officials, Vijay Machinder, one of the directors of Ornate Spaces, has been arrested in a Rs 50 crore fraud case, reported ANI.

"Machinder had faced charges in a housing fraud case filed by the Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing in December 2021," officials said, reported ANI.

"During the investigation, he was not cooperating and was evading questioning," they added, reported ANI.

An investigation into the arrest of Mumbai-based builder is underway, they added, reported ANI.

In another case, the Anti Narcotics Cell of Mumbai police have arrested two drug peddlers after recovering charas worth about Rs 1.2 crore from them, an official said on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI.

Acting on inputs, the ANC's Kandivali unit intercepted two persons at Borivali West on Tuesday evening, he said, reported PTI.
A search revealed that the duo was carrying 2.96 kg of "high quality" charas worth Rs 1.18 crore. The drug had been sourced from Nepal, he said, reported PTI.

Both have been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, he said, adding that a probe was underway, reported PTI.

Meanwhile, the Navi Mumbai police have registered a case against two persons for allegedly duping 25 investors of nearly Rs 1 crore after luring them with high returns, an official said on Wednesday, reported PTI.

Accused Sonali Chavan-Bhandare and Ashish Lwate allegedly cheated the investors since February 2022, he said, reported PTI.

The accused persuaded the victims to invest in a "gold coin" scheme through their company with the promise of lucrative returns. Collectively, the victims shelled out Rs 1.03 crore, he said, reported PTI.

When the investors did not receive the promised returns as well as the principal, they approached the police, reported PTI.

The Kharghar police on Tuesday registered a cheating case against the duo, he added, reported PTI.

Three officials of Bhiwandi Nijampur Municipal Corporation (BNMC) in Thane district of Maharashtra were nabbed on Wednesday after one of them accepted a bribe of Rs 1.50 lakh allegedly to settle a property tax-related matter, an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) official said, reported PTI.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)