BI News, New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has successfully attached assets worth a whopping Rs 538 crore belonging to the founder of Jet Airways, Naresh Goyal, along with his family members and associated companies. The ED, a central probe agency, revealed this news on Wednesday, highlighting that this action is part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged bank loan fraud involving the erstwhile Jet Airways.
Citing an extensive audit report, the ED has claimed that the loans availed by Jet Airways (India) Limited (JIL) were diverted for purchasing a range of immovable assets, including furniture, apparel, and jewelry, rather than being utilized for the intended purpose.
The attached assets include a total of 17 residential flats, bungalows, and commercial premises spread across various locations in London, Dubai, and different cities in India. These properties are registered under the names of various entities, such as Jetair Private Limited and Jet Enterprises Private Limited, in addition to being associated with Naresh Goyal, his wife Anita, and their son Nivaan, as confirmed by the federal agency in an official statement.
Naresh Goyal, who is 74 years old, had been taken into custody by the ED on September 1, marking a significant development in the case. The agency has now filed a chargesheet against him and five other individuals in connection with an alleged fraud amounting to Rs 538 crore at Canara Bank. Currently, Naresh Goyal is in judicial custody and is detained at the Arthur Road jail.
The chargesheet against Goyal and his co-accused has been submitted in a court in Mumbai, and it is expected that the court will take cognizance of the charges on Wednesday, according to a lawyer closely associated with the case.
This intricate money laundering case traces its origins back to the initial FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Jet Airways, Naresh Goyal, his wife Anita, and several former company executives of the now-defunct private airline. The allegations are centered on a massive fraud that has sent shockwaves through the financial sector.
