Black money chase: How Modi is cracking the whip on India's shell firms

Last month, the authorities ordered nearly 200,000 shell companies to be shut down

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi banned high-denomination currency bills in a surprise move late last year, authorities noticed a surge in shell companies depositing cash in banks, seemingly in a bid to hide who owned that wealth.

The moment, said a top aide to Modi, was an eye-opener for the government, which had not realized just how much shell companies were being used to hide assets and launder money.

Modi's office has formed a team of top law enforcement and revenue officials to go after such companies, according to the aide and a government memo reviewed by Reuters.

Last month, the authorities ordered nearly