Bigg Boss fame actor Kriti Verma named in ED chargesheet in fraud case

During the investigation, it was discovered that Kriti Verma had sold a property in Gurugram, which was acquired with Rs 1.02 crore of proceeds from the crime

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday filed a chargesheet in a Rs 263 crore fraudulent tax deducted at source (TDS) refund case, naming 14 individuals, including GST inspector-turned-television personality Kriti Verma.

Among those charged is the alleged mastermind of the scam, former Income Tax Inspector Tanaji Mandal Adhikari.

TDS fraud case

In response to an FIR stating fraudulent issuance of refunds for assessment years 2007-08 and 2008-09, the ED started its probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The FIR, lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), alleged that Adhikari, during his tenure as a tax officer, unauthorised access to RSA tokens and login credentials of higher-ranking authorities. He manipulated the system to generate TDS refunds totalling over Rs 263 crores, which were then transferred to various bank accounts, including M/s SB Enterprises, owned by accused Bhushan Anant Patil.

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Earlier, the CBI had filed a chargesheet against Adhikari, Patil, Rajesh Shantaram Shetty, and others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Prevention of Corruption Act, along with Section 66 of the IT Act 2000.

Kriti Verma's involvement

Kriti Verma is known for appearing on reality shows such as Bigg Boss and MTV Roadies. During the investigation by the ED, it was discovered that Kriti Verma had sold a property in Gurugram, which was acquired with Rs 1.02 crore of proceeds from the crime. The sale proceeds, totaling Rs 1.18 crore, were traced to her bank accounts and subsequently frozen by authorities.

The ED probe stated that plots in Lonavala, Khandala, Karjat, Pune, and Udupi areas; flats in Panvel and Mumbai areas, and movable assets in the form of three luxury cars have been acquired out of the proceeds of crime.

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