Hyderabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Hyderabad zone, has conducted search operations under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 at premises of conman Sandeep Desai in Hyderabad. The ED investigation revealed that Sandeep Desai had contacted Suresh Kumar Agarwal, managing director of CSK Realtors and tried to extort money from him in the name of ED officers.
The ED searches led to the recovery and seizure of multiple SIM cards and mobile phones used by Sandeep Desai to entice and extort money from persons facing ED investigation.
The investigative agency for economic crimes had earlier conducted search operations on December 19 last year at two premises related to CSK Realtors and Singh Mansions in Hyderabad.
During investigation, ED officials learnt that Desai used three different mobile numbers to contact Agarwal through Whatsapp and falsely projected himself as one of the senior ED officers. He convinced Agarwal to meet him at a five--star hotel in Hyderabad and introduced himself as ‘Rakesh’, a cousin of the ED officer.
The conman demanded a hefty sum from Agarwal and offered to help him in the ongoing PMLA investigation against CSK Realtors through his contact with ED officers.
On the basis of information, Agarwal was encouraged by the ED officers to file a written complaint. Subsequently, the ED officers identified the conman through CCTV footage and surveillance. Subsequently, search operations were conducted at his residential premises from where various SIM cards and mobile phones used by him were seized.
In his statement recorded during the course of investigation, Desai admitted that he tried to extort money from Agarwal in the name of the ED officers by falsely projecting his association with them.
