NSEL scam: ED attaches Rs 14.22 cr assets of defaulting firm

The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth 14.22 crore of a defaulting firm, accused in the Rs 5,600 crore National Spot Exchange Ltd scam case.
"ED Mumbai attaches commercial property under PMLA in Ahmedabad worth Rs 14.22 crore of M/s N K Protein in NSEL scam," the investigating agency tweeted this morning.
"We have attached some offices, valued at Rs 14.22 crore, of NK Proteins in a commercial complex in Ahmedabad," a top ED official in Mumbai said on condition of anonymity.
The firm's offices are located in 'Popular House' complex, situated on Ashram Road in the city. However, it is not clear whether the offices attached today are from the said building only.

When contacted, a top N K Proteins official said they are yet to receive the notice from ED.
"Our legal department is looking into this issue. We are not aware whether these offices were attached by ED or not. The situation will be clear only after our legal officers come back from Mumbai," the official, who did not want to be identified, said.

ED's Mumbai unit had registered a criminal FIR in October last year in connection with the NSEL scam, in which 13,000 investors are believed hit by the payment crisis, to probe instances of money laundering.
NSEL, the country's only commodities spot exchange, went belly up on July 31 last year after the then UPA government ordered its shutdown for violation of norms. Following this, the exchange defaulted on its payment obligations.

NK Proteins, one of the top edible oil players of Gujarat, is allegedly the top NSEL borrower-defaulter, having obligations to the tune of Rs 970 crore.
Earlier in August, ED had attached assets worth Rs 18.1 crore of N K Proteins in Mumbai, Noida, Ahmedabad and Palanpur in Gujarat under the criminal provisions of the PMLA.