Unitech founder, daughter-in-law held by ED in money-laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday arrested Unitech founder Ramesh Chandra, his daughter-in-law Preeti Chandra and an executive of a company in connection with a money-laundering probe against the real estate group and its promoters, officials said.

They said the three were taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the case against Ramesh Chandra's sons -- Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra.

Preeti Chandra is the wife of jailed Unitech promoter Sanjay Chandra.

The third to be arrested on Monday was Rajesh Malik, an executive of Carnoustie Management (India) Pvt which is allegedly linked to the case, officials said.

All the three -- Ramesh Chandra, Preeti Chandra and Rajesh Malik -- will be produced before a court on Tuesday by the Enforcement Directorate seeking their custody.

The Chandra brothers, accused of siphoning home buyers' money, are lodged in Taloja jail in Mumbai after the Supreme Court directed that they be transferred from Tihar. The SC gave the directions after the ED claimed that the brothers were conducting business from inside the Tihar jail by conniving with the prison staff.

The ED's money laundering case is based on a number of Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing and CBI FIRs filed by homebuyers against the Unitech Group and its promoters.

The ED filed a criminal case under various sections of the PMLA earlier this year against the Unitech Group and its promoters over allegations that the owners -- Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra -- illegally diverted over Rs 2,000 crore to Cyprus and the Cayman Islands.

It had also carried out raids in this case on March 4 at 35 locations of the Shivalik Group, Trikar Group, Unitech Group and Carnoustie Group in Mumbai and the national capital region.

The ED had said that the total proceeds of crime detected in this case stands at Rs 7,638.43 crore and it has attached properties worth Rs 672.52 crore till now as part of this investigation.