Television personality Kirti Verma under ED lens in Rs 263 cr fraud case

New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) Kirti Verma, a former Income Tax officer-turned-television personality, is under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for allegedly receiving proceeds of crime in connection with a case relating to fraudulent issuance of TDS refunds amounting to Rs 263 crore from the Income Tax department.

Verma, who had featured in shows like 'Roadies' and 'Big Boss Season 12', has been accused of having close ties with one of the accused persons who illegally received tax refund.

Verma was called to join the investigation many times by the ED.

"Verma sold one property in Gurugram, which was acquired in 2021 out of the proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 1.02 crore. She received the sale proceeds in her bank account," the ED has learnt.

The ED had in January attached assets worth Rs 69 crore, including land, flats, luxury cars. The attached assets were bought in the name of Verma and other accused perons, namely Bhushan Anant Patil, Rajesh Shetty and Sarika Shetty.

The ED case is based on a CBI FIR lodged against Tanaji Mandal Adhikari, a senior tax assistant working in the I-T department, and Bhushan Anant Patil, a Panvel-based businessman. The CBI case relates to fraudulent issuance of tax refunds by the accused. The CBI's FIR said that the accused received illegal I-T refunds from 2007 to 2009.

It was alleged that Adhikari, while working as a senior tax assistant, had access to RSA tokens and login credentials of his supervisory authorities. He allegedly orchestrated the fraud in connivance with others. The accused fraudulently generating TDS refunds exceeding Rs 263 crore and transferred the same to various bank accounts, including the account of SB Enterprises, a proprietary concern to Bhushan Anant Patil.

The CBI also filed a chargesheet against Adhikari, Patil, Rajesh Shantaram Shetty and others for committing offences punishable under Sections 7 amd 13(2) read with 13(1)(a) of PC Act and Section 66 of the IT Act.

The ED learnt that during the period from November 15, 2019 to November 4, 2020, 12 fraudulent TDS refunds were generated by Adhikari amounting to Rs 263,95,31,870, which were fraudulently credited into the account of SB Enterprises.

"These proceeds of crime were subsequently transferred into the bank accounts of Bhushan Anant Patil and other related persons and entities and also in shell companies. Kriti Verma had sold one such property in Gurugram, which was acquired in 2021 out of the proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 1.02 crore. Search operations were conducted and the entire sale proceeds were identified in her bank account which was freezed," an ED official said.

The ED had earlier seized immovable properties in the form of land at Lonavala, Khandala, Karjat, Pune and Udupi areas, flats at Panvel and Mumbai areas and movable assets in the form three luxury cars, which were acquired out of the proceeds of crime by the accused.

On identification of these assets, a provisional attachment order under PMLA was issued attaching 32 assets totalling to Rs 69,65,99,720. Thus, out of the total proceeds of crime of Rs 263 crore, assets worth Rs 166 crore have been seized in the case so far.